The unpredictable increase in exchange rates and rising costs are pushing the health and medical sectors. Industry representatives stated that although the prices of mostly imported medical devices, kits and other medical consumables have doubled, the figures of the Health Application Communiqué (SUT) have not changed, and that the SUT figures should be updated at the rate of annual inflation in order for the companies to survive.
Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry Health Council President Erol Kılıç had important contacts in Ankara with BTSO Council Member Ehet Taştan, 61st Professional Committee Chairman Mehmet Fatih Özkul and 60th Professional Committee Vice President Selçuk Bedir. The delegation first met with Bursa Deputies Mustafa Esgin and Ahmet Kılıç in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and then visited KOSGEB President Hasan Basri Kurt. Finally, the delegation visited Halil Eldemir, Deputy Minister of Health, and presented the problems and suggestions of the health and medical sector waiting to be solved.
MILK PRICES SHOULD BE UPDATED
BTSO Health Council President Erol Kılıç said that the health sector continues to work at its best even under the pressure of the Kovid-19 outbreak. Stating that the financial problems that started before the pandemic in the sector have deepened with the epidemic, Kılıç said, “Recent increases in exchange rates also affect the health sector. The costs of medical devices and consumables, which are tied to the dollar, are increasing. At this point, we demand that the figures of the Health Implementation Communiqué (SUT) be updated at the annual inflation rate. Currently, no material can be purchased at SUT prices. This situation negatively affects the financial situation of our industry. On the other hand, we expect the 200 percent difference wage limit applied to health service providers to be completely removed and made suitable for free competition.” said.
“HEALTH SECTOR SHOULD BENEFIT FROM KOSGEB SUPPORT”
Noting that the health sector has a strategic importance in pandemic conditions, Erol Kılıç emphasized that it is important to support the sector in terms of taxes and expenses and to make payments to companies as a priority. Underlining that the health sector should also benefit from KOSGEB supports, Kılıç also suggested allocating staff to the private health sector due to the rising staff market. Noting that they have brought the increasing violence in health to the agenda recently, Kılıç stated that drastic measures should be taken.
“PRICE DIFFERENCE REQUEST FOR PUBLIC AND UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS CONTRACTS”
BTSO Assembly Member Ehet Taştan, on the other hand, said the following in his assessment: “Almost all of the devices, kits and other medical consumables sold by our companies in the medical sector are imported products. Due to unexpected increases in exchange rates, there are difficulties in product supplies and services. We demand that some improvements such as price difference be made in the contracts that the medical sector has made with public and university hospitals, and that the contracts be terminated or postponed for a while. On the other hand, we expect the installment payments of the loans used by our medical sector companies from banks to be extended once again.”
Among the issues mentioned by the representatives of the sector during the visits are the granting of green passports independent of the turnover limits to the officials of the health institutions with the Health Tourism Certificate, the removal of the surgical list restrictions in the outpatient diagnosis and treatment centers and the expansion of the surgical lists, the KOSGEB Business Development Support Program so that they can participate in the fairs and medical congresses to be held in 2022. The scope also included increasing the support rates for international business trips.
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