Response from İSTAHED to Deputy Minister of Health: You cannot boast about our exhaustion

The Istanbul Family Physicians Association (İSTAHED) reacted to Deputy Minister of Health Şuayip Birinci's statement, "Our physicians see twice as many patients as the OECD average," with the following statements: "This system is safe for neither the physician nor the patient. The physician is exhausted, the system is bankrupt, but the Deputy Minister is still describing the picture as 'success.' You cannot use our exhaustion as a reason to brag!"

In a written statement made by İSTAHED, a response was given to the statements of Deputy Minister of Health Şuayip Birinci. The statement noted the following:

"The statements that came to the agenda in the TBMM Health Commission have once again revealed the effort to present the crisis our health system is in as a success story. The fact that Deputy Minister of Health Mr. Şuayip Birinci said, 'Our doctors see twice as many patients as the OECD average' as a source of pride is unfortunately an approach that ignores the burnout of health workers and the unsustainability of the system.

"IT IS PRESENTED AS IF IT WAS A TRICK"

These explanations are completely foreign to the reality experienced by family physicians who are crushed under a heavy patient load, whose professional motivation has decreased and who have lost hope in the health system with every regulation that is issued. Physicians who are forced to see 90-100 patients a day are expected to monitor, prepare reports and perform cancer screenings. Moreover, all of these are presented as if they are a feat. This system is safe neither for the physician nor for the patient. Physicians are exhausted, the system is bankrupt, but the Deputy Minister still describes the picture as 'success.'"