Turkey's healthcare system on the verge of collapse

The former president of the Turkish Medical Association, Vedat Bulut, warns of a collapse of the healthcare system in Turkey because of the rising coronavirus cases.

The healthcare system in Turkey is on the verge of total collapse. Experts such as Vedat Bulut, the former president of the Turkish Medical Association, are also warning of this. The situation is particularly problematic in the capital Ankara, where there is a lack of beds and more and more doctors are giving up their jobs. More than 900 doctors throughout Turkey are said to have quit their jobs so far. Previously, there had been great resentment in the health care system due to the lack of protective measures and the continuing relativization of the coronavirus danger. Altogether at least 30,000 coworkers in in the health service of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan with the Coronavirus were infected, 80 of them died according to official data.

In any case, the number of practicing physicians has dropped significantly due to political purges by the regime. Ankara is now one of the pandemic hotspots. Bulut criticized the regime for its false pandemic policy, saying that this would spread misinformation and fail to convey the seriousness of the situation to the people.

The official infection rate in Turkey is 1500 to 1700 new infections daily. However, the medical association accuses the government of glossing over the figures. In their opinion, there are significantly more cases.