TTB AHEK Statement on Fund Embezzlement and Health Budget
The Turkish Medical Association Family Medicine Branch shared the ratio of the large sum of money withdrawn in a fund incident to the primary healthcare budget.
Dr. Siber Uyan, Chair of the Executive Board of the Turkish Medical Association Family Medicine Branch, announced that the 227 billion liras withdrawn in a scandal involving a fund corresponds to 56 percent of the Ministry of Health's primary healthcare services budget.
Press Conference Held in Ankara
Siber Uyan, Chair of the Executive Board of the Turkish Medical Association Family Medicine Branch, made important statements at a press conference held at the Ankara Medical Chamber.
During the meeting, statistics in the healthcare field and the status of primary healthcare services were addressed in detail.
Health Statistics and Application Rates
Based on the Ministry of Health's 2025 Health Statistics Yearbook, it was announced that a total of 1 billion 138 million applications were made to physicians last year.
It was reported that 41.3 percent of these applications took place in primary care institutions, and 58.7 percent in secondary and tertiary care institutions.
OECD Average and Imaging Data
It was pointed out that the application rates in Turkey are more than twice the annual average of 6.5 applications in OECD countries.
It was recalled that during his 2026 budget speeches, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu stated that approximately 16 million MRs and 17 million CT scans were performed in the first 10 months of 2025.
Fund Manipulation and Budget Comparison
As a result of the manipulations in the fund, a total of 227 billion liras withdrawn by 650 people making a profit just before the CMB's liquidation decision was brought to the agenda.
It was stated that the aforementioned 227 billion lira amount corresponds to 56 percent of the budget allocated by the Ministry of Health for primary healthcare services.
Demands of Healthcare Workers
Emphasizing that healthcare workers are made to work below the poverty line, tax deductions applied to family physicians were criticized.
Family physicians demand a single salary of at least twice the poverty line every month, tax justice, and secure primary care services.