Turkiye eyes top global spot in health care

By Yesim Sert Karaaslan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye hopes to offer the best in world-class health care, the country's president said on Monday.

"We want to elevate our country to the best place possible in the global health system," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a March 14 Medicine Day event in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

Stressing that Turkiye has the potential and means to train the medical workforce it needs, Erdogan said the country was also making progress towards becoming a global center for health care, attracting patients from around the world.

He said that during the coronavirus pandemic, Turkiye had proven that it has the capacity to provide its people with the best service available with its hospitals, doctors and other medical personnel, tools, and equipment.

Erdogan said the country's health reforms and robust medical infrastructure had played a major role in this success, adding: "We succeeded in building a system that can provide our people with the services they deserve."

The Turkish president also said that health services were one of the most noteworthy areas in which Turkiye took pride. "In health, as is the case in many other fields, we have come to a level where we need to focus on quality."

Erdogan also extended his gratitude to Turkish doctors and medical staff who worked around the clock to support the country's healthcare system during the pandemic.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan