Tens of thousands of babies died due to socioeconomic injustice: Turkish Medical Association
Some 11,629 babies died in Turkey in 2018 due to socioeconomic conditions, the Turkish Medical Association said during the presentation of a healthcare report that was prepared with data from the Ministry of Health. The report also revealed the death of 14,240 children under the age five in 2018.
Duvar English
The Turkish Medical Association made statement over a report that revealed 11,629 babies had died because of socioeconomic inequality in Turkey in 2018.
"Had intra-city socioeconomic inequalities between been patched, it could have been possible to save the lives of 11,629 babies", the Turkish Medical Association said.
The report, compiled with data from the Ministry of Health, also revealed 14,240 kids under the age of five had died in Turkey in 2018.
The report noted that 70,049,236 citizens had enrolled in General Health Insurance, a lower figure than the number that was projected for 2019, which was 83,209,339.
Decreasing healthcare resources
Turkey's health spending now makes up a lower share of GDP in comparison to previous years, the report said. At a mere 4.4 percent of GDP, healthcare spending is around 165 billion Turkish liras.
In 2018, the average healthcare spending per capita was 2,040 liras.
Some 1,047 doctors left Turkey in 2019, constituting a brain drain equivalent to nine first-year medical classes combined, the report maintained.
Increasing violence against healthcare workers
The report stressed an increase in cases of violence against healthcare workers, with the number of assaults reaching 10,731 in the first seven months of 2019. The report added that only 6,726 of these cases had been handled legally.