Public health services a must, Turks think

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Two out of three Turks think health services should be provided by the state, says the survey, however adding that they are not willing to pay more taxes.

A majority of Turks oppose the privatization of health services, arguing instead that health services are fundamental to a welfare state, according to the results of a survey by Istanbul’s Sabancı University.

Two out of three Turks think health services should be provided by the state, said the survey of 1,559 participants conducted by Professor Ali Çarkoğlu and Professor Ersin Kalaycıoğlu.

The report, however, also revealed that a majority of participants are not willing to pay more taxes to obtain better health services.

Turks have high expectations from a welfare state and believe that health services should be provided to all regardless of economic situation, age, lifestyle and citizenship, the survey said, adding that privatization was a non-starter for many.

Some 15 percent of respondents also said they had no health insurance.

The survey further revealed that 35 percent of Turks think the country’s health services are sufficient while half said there could be improvements in the existing system.

Sixty percent said they felt content with their own physical being, while 70 percent said they considered themselves healthy.

Traditional methods
The survey also showed that while most of the participants believed in modern health medicine, 22 percent said traditional methods produced better results than modern methods. Despite this, only 10 percent said they used traditional methods when sick.

In terms of participants’ health, cigarette use and a lack of physical activity were listed as the most significant problems. Some 85 percent of participants also said they had never drunk alcohol in their lives, while 40 percent said they were addicted to smoking.

The study was conducted by the International Social Survey Program (ISSP).