After the Cabinet Meeting held at the Presidential Complex, Health Minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca answered questions of journalists about the agenda.
On the question of whether there is an increase in Covid-19 cases again, Minister Koca stated that no case of the Eris variant has been detected in Türkiye so far, and pointed out that tests and analyzes are carried out by the reference laboratories of the General Directorate of Public Health.
Dr. Koca added, “Sub-variants of Omicron have been identified and shared with the international public. There is a common platform for this and we are one of the active members. Our citizens can rest assured that there is no such thing as returning to the old days. Currently, the virulence of any variant is not higher than Omicron. We will be protected in the same way we are protected from the flu. Those who have symptoms of the disease should continue their daily lives by wearing their mask and minimizing contact with others as much as possible. A new vaccination period is out of the question.”
Resignations from public hospitals decreased by 40 percent after the White Reform
Concerning the physicians that allegedly “left the public sector and went abroad”, Minister Koca made the following statement:
“Before the White Reform, that is, in 2018, 2019, 2020, the average number of specialists who resigned from the public was 1500. In August 2022, before the White Reform came into effect, the number of doctors who resigned in the 8 months of last year was 2 thousand. Until August of this year, the number of specialist doctors resigned in 8 months is 1200. In other words, after the White Reform, resignations decreased by 40 percent this year. I am talking about the resignations after the White Reform compared to last year.
Additionally, not all of the doctors who resigned went abroad. Some of them leave to specialize in subspecialties, some transfer to university positions, some open a practice, and some leave to work in a healthcare institution in the private sector. In fact, their contributions to health service delivery continue in other channels. In summary, not all those who resign are going abroad.”
Minister of Health Koca said, “After the White Reform, the number of physicians who returned to public duty reached 8 thousand. The transition from the private sector to the state and from the private practice to the public accounts to nearly 8 thousand physicians excluding those who work at the universities. In other words, they returned to the public sector.”
In response to the question about the allegations that some drugs cannot be found in Türkiye and some drugs have been withdrawn from the country, Koca reminded that there was news that a drug related to organ transplantation was withdrawn from the market.
Minister Koca said:
"Yes, the relevant company left the country's market stating that it could no longer supply the drug. However, there are 5 different equivalent versions of that drug in the market, produced with equivalent active ingredients. Both of the equivalent drugs in question and the drugs licensed in our country are domestic production. Therefore, there will be no problem in this sense. The company withdrawing from the market is withdrawing completely because it cannot maintain competition. They made this decision even though the price of this drug has been increased three times recently. However, there are 5 equivalent drugs in the market. There will be no problem. I want to believe that withdrawing from the market is not intentional. Moreover, no one should feel like the voice of global pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical industry of our country is in such a good condition that it does not allow such a fait accompli. Nobody should worry."