While health tourism, one of Turkey's prominent sectors in recent years, is growing, debates are also on the agenda. In the sector estimated to have hosted around 2.5 million health tourists and generated 4 billion dollars in revenue in 2023, a crisis of authority has arisen between agencies and clinics.
The sale of complete tour packages by some clinics in health tourism, including flights, transfers, and healthcare services, has caused discomfort among tourism agencies. Representatives of the health tourism sector have similarly expressed concerns, stating that some agencies collaborate with their own doctors, causing distress to patients, and emphasized the need for everyone to focus on their respective roles.
Dr. Şebnem Akman Balta, Vice President of the Turkey Young Business People Association (TÜGİAD), pointed out that clinics, without a health tourism certificate, are bringing in patients through advertisements on social media, competing with agencies. She stated, 'The operation of clinics like travel agencies is causing a loss of income in the tourism sector. TÜRSAB and the Ministry of Tourism should come up with a solution for this matter.'
"‘REGULATION IS NECESSARY’
Commenting on the allegations against clinics, Reşat Bahat, President of the Private Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations Association (OHSAD) and Chairman of the Health Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board, stated:
"Both clinics engaging in agency services and those attempting to provide healthcare may encounter deficiencies in one of these areas, which already strengthens the hand of rival countries generating smear campaigns against us. In professional health tourism, even if a patient is brought to the hospital directly, they should work with a health agency. However, there are more than 700 health tourism agencies in Turkey. The excessive number brings a lack of supervision. Agencies can hire their own doctors and provide healthcare. This can leave patients helpless. There is a need for oversight. Hospitals need agencies, and agencies need hospitals.