21.02.2025 08:20
The Ministry of Health has made changes to the family medicine system. Accordingly, if the registered population in the system resides in a different province, those who wish will be given the opportunity to change their physician within one month. Family medicine units providing integrated health services will be effectively involved in the provision of health services 24/7. Automatic physician assignments will be made for those who change their residence.
The "Regulation on Amendments to the Family Medicine Practice Regulation" prepared by the Ministry of Health has been published in the Official Gazette. According to the information provided by the Ministry regarding the regulation, new family health centers and family medicine units are planned to reduce the population per family physician, and the transfer of the population to newly opened family practices is also facilitated.
OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE PHYSICIAN WITHIN 1 MONTH
If the population registered in the family medicine system resides in a different province, changing family physicians will now be easier. In this context, citizens who wish will be given the opportunity to change their family physician within 1 month. Additionally, as a result of the decrease in the registered population from 4,000 to 3,500 with the "Regulation on Amendments to the Family Medicine Contract and Payment Regulation," populations exceeding this number can be transferred to newly opened family medicine units with less density by the commission at provincial health directorates. Thus, newly opened units will be included in the system, making access to services easier and improving service quality.
HEALTH SERVICES 24/7
On the other hand, it has been ensured that family medicine units providing integrated health services are effectively involved in providing health services 24/7. Family physicians working in these units will not be included in the services for burial permits and on-site forensic autopsy services.
Family medicine specialists can now prioritize one of the two vacant units in the family health center, and they can be placed in the vacant units as a priority. The condition that family health workers will be determined by the family physician has been limited to 1 month with the regulation, and if a family health worker cannot be found within this period, contracts can be signed by provincial health directorates. The regulation stipulates that family health centers and family medicine units will be opened according to the service needs in the provisions of the "Family Medicine Practice Regulation," and the licensing processes will be completed by the directorate. It has been stipulated that all licensing processes for the centers will be completed by the directorate.
In cases where the family health center needs to be evacuated due to mandatory reasons such as demolition decisions, urban transformation, and zoning regulations, it can be moved to a public space indicated by the directorate if available, or to a suitable space provided by family physicians with the condition of a suitable time given by the directorate if not. In the event of the construction of a new building for the family health center or the establishment of a public building, it will be mandatory to move to the new service location within the framework of the planning made by the directorate. The internal and external standards of family health centers will have to comply with the corporate identity guidelines determined by the Ministry of Health.