HEALTHCARE expenditures not covered by the Social Security Institution (SGK) reached TL 14 billion in the last 12 months, an 85 percent increase from the figure for the entire year of 2009, a year after Turkey’s new healthcare system was introduced.
 

According to a recent report by the İstanbul Chamber of Public Accountants and Financial Advisors (İSMMMO), spending on healthcare by consumers increased from TL 8.1 billion in 2009 to TL 14 billion in October and it is expected to reach TL 15 billion at the end of the year.

The annual figures were TL 11.7 billion in 2012 and TL 13.2 billion in 2013.

In its “Health Strategies and Expenditures in Turkey” report released on Sunday, İSMMMO revealed citizens in recent years have been spending much more to receive health services.

The report also reveals that people are charged 10 different types of contribution fees such as examination payment, pillbox payment, etc., when they pay for medical treatment and medication.

 
It was mentioned in the report that citizens prefer to use emergency services, where they are charged lower fees, in order to bypass these payments.

Patients in Turkey sought treatment in emergency rooms 90 million times in 2013 when the population is only 77 million, the report said.

 
After the introduction of reforms in the healthcare system back in 2008, the number of people seeking medical treatment at public and private hospitals also rose.

The number of medical treatments at hospitals was 245 million in 2009 and 421 million in 2013. The number of medical treatments this year as of April, when the latest data is included, reached 155 million.