Injustice in the Healthcare Incentive System: The Burden of Care Falls on Nurses and Midwives
Inequities in coefficients and scoring errors within the Ministry of Health's Additional Payment Regulation victimize nurses and midwives who undertake 24-hour patient care.
It has been stated that due to scoring and coefficient injustices in the Ministry of Health's Additional Payment Regulation, nurses and midwives fail to receive the payments they deserve, and the current incentive system renders care labor invisible.
Scoring and Coefficient Debate in the Incentive System
The scoring and coefficient injustices implemented within the framework of the current Ministry of Health Additional Payment Regulation lead to serious grievances for nurses and midwives working in the field.
The system's high scoring of procedures such as prescription writing and surgeries causes the labor of nurses and midwives, who undertake the uninterrupted care and treatment of the patient for 24 hours, to go unrewarded.
Demand for the Removal of Care Labor and Performance Systems
Nazan Karacabey, Co-Chairperson of the Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES), stated that the problem is not limited to scoring injustices in incentive payments, but that the core issue is the performance system itself.
Stating that the current performance wage items completely render care labor invisible and lead to occupational division, officials demand that the system be completely abolished and a fair base wage be adopted.
Increased Workload and Burnout in Light of OECD Data
It was emphasized that according to OECD data, the number of midwives and nurses in Turkey remains insufficient, while physician application rates have shown a major increase.
Drawing attention to the fact that healthcare laborers have reached the point of exhaustion due to these rising application densities and inadequate staff numbers, calls for urgent improvements were reiterated.