Türkiye eyes healthy aging, prevention in health care policy: Minister
Ahmet Hakan - ISTANBUL
Türkiye is shifting the focus of its health care system from treating illness to preventing it, with Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu saying the country’s new priority is to help people remain healthy and age with a higher quality of life.
“We want a system that reminds citizens about their health before they become ill, teaches healthy living and increases demand for it,” Memişoğlu said in an interview with the daily Hürriyet, describing the approach as a more proactive and preventive health care model.
A central part of the strategy is the expanded role of family physicians. Under recent regulatory changes, every citizen has a designated family doctor, while physicians can receive additional incentives when patients under their care require fewer hospital visits or medications and report higher satisfaction.
