Turkey eyes top in global health care system: President Erdoğan

Turkey 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 Erdoğan said at a March 14 Medicine Day event in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

Stressing that Turkey has the potential and means to train the medical workforce it needs, Erdoğan 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, Turkey 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.

Erdoğan 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 Turkey 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."

Erdoğan 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.