Important Statements from Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu to Media Representatives
According to the statements made by the Ministry of Health, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu stated that the meeting was of an introductory nature. In this meeting, comprehensive information was shared about the projects carried out by the Ministry and the future roadmap. Memişoğlu emphasized that they aimed to spread healthy lifestyle habits throughout society. He also drew attention to the fact that addiction, excessive weight, inactivity, nutritional deficiencies and low fertility rates are among the future health risks. He stated that the role of the media in these eliminating risks is extremely large.
Strengthening Primary Health Care Services
Memişoğlu made important statements about strengthening basic health services. “This strengthening is not something that only I or the Ministry can do. Your support in this matter is of great importance,” said Memişoğlu, indicating that increasing social awareness is critical for this process to be successful. “We will make this a social policy and I can say that we will make it the main policy of our Ministry,” he said.
Answering questions from media representatives, Memişoğlu stated that 6 million people lost their lives worldwide during the Covid-19 outbreak and approximately 17 million people die from circulatory diseases every year.
City Hospitals: Our Sources of Pride
Memişoğlu emphasized that city hospitals are planned as Turkey’s health information production center and important areas where science and technology will be developed. Stating that the private sector’s contribution to the field of health services is great, Memişoğlu said, “There may be some changes needed in city hospitals; however, it is wrong to create negative perceptions about these hospitals. I express it very clearly that city hospitals are our source of pride.”
Family Medicine and Encouraging Steps
Stating that they will continue their work on the integration of Family Health Centers with 2nd and 3rd level health institutions, Memişoğlu emphasized that they will adopt an encouraging approach. “While strengthening family medicine, which provides primary health care services, we will take steps to encourage our citizens to apply to family physicians. We will produce radical solutions by getting to the root of the problems. In this process, we will adopt an encouraging “Approach instead of a coercive approach. By developing the institutional culture in our Family Health Centers, we will integrate these centers with 2nd and 3rd level health institutions,” he said.
There is no alarm situation
Emphasizing that universities have a great impact on the capacity and quality of health services in the future, Memişoğlu said, “Our duty as administrators is to distinguish right from wrong, to defend the rights of the righteous and to punish the wrong.” Stating that developments regarding monkeypox and Covid-19 are being closely followed, Memişoğlu shared the information, “However, as of now, we do not have any alarm status.”
Stating that they have started working on some branches in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and will make plans for employment, Memişoğlu emphasized that they will forward the manpower planning to YÖK. Also touching on the drug supply problems experienced in pharmacies, Memişoğlu said, “There is no drug problem in pharmacies. This issue should be evaluated not directly on drug brands, but on active ingredients.”
