Doctors rally against latest rules for private hospitals in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Doctors have rallied in Istanbul’s Kadıköy to protest against the Private Hospitals Regulation as it “prevents self-employed doctors from doing their jobs.

In the protest attended by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Istanbul Medical Chamber, many health professional organizations and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies, a joint press statement titled “Withdraw the Oct. 6 and Jan. 7 regulations” was read, which cited the Health Ministry’s move that makes self-employed doctors, who don’t have contracts with private health institutions, interrupt the treatment of their patients.

The statement said most of the self-employed doctors who have private practice were prevented from performing surgery with the regulation published by the ministry.

“We will defend to the end the right of the independent exercise of the profession, which is the most fundamental right of all physicians, and the freedom of our patients to choose their physician,” said Güray Kılıç from the Istanbul Medical Chamber.

The new regulation has deepened the existing problem, said Mahir Özmen, a professor from the Turkish Society of Surgery and Practices Association, describing the regulation as causing more doctors to go abroad.

“Unfortunately, it forced the physicians to work in a single hospital and under the conditions and prices determined by that hospital. We are completely against this enslaved method of medicine,” he added.

Reminding that more than 2,500 people requested the necessary documents from the TTB to go abroad since last year, Murat Emanetoğlu, a doctor from the Practices Association, said, “Physicians who have just graduated will also have to go abroad as they won’t be able to practice self-employment.”

“There are many ways to retain good physicians in public and private hospitals. The way to do this should not be by preventing self-employment rights,” said Özcan Çakmak, a professor.