The Government of Turkey provides universal healthcare coverage but faces challenges maintaining quality care as its population grows and ages. With public hospitals catering to nearly 90 percent of Turkey’s citizens, the country’s Ministry of Health plays a critical role in setting the standard for the delivery of care to more than 70 million people. In fact, the Ministry is implementing a $15 billion investment plan for 31 new state-of-the-art healthcare campuses housing several general hospitals and specialized cancer treatment centers. Given the cutting-edge medical technologies and services available from the United States, USTDA’s program was a natural fit for supporting the Ministry’s objectives.    

Working with the Ministry, USTDA responded by offering a solution that was custom-tailored to Turkey’s needs. The Agency funded a reverse trade mission to connect public and private hospital representatives from Turkey with U.S. healthcare infrastructure companies all across the United States. In 2020, the delegation met with U.S. suppliers, industry associations and oncologists, and toured cancer treatment centers in Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, and Silicon Valley.

The visit helped inform the delegation’s subsequent technology selections. Within just a few months, Turkey procured various medical equipment including anesthesia machines, monitors, x-ray systems and surgical robots from four U.S. companies. As Turkey continues the implementation of its healthcare campus investment plan, procurement of additional American technology is expected to continue.

“The quick results of this visit demonstrate Turkey’s commitment to modernizing its healthcare delivery, including better-quality specialized care for its citizens,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA ‘s Acting Director. “This also represents USTDA’s commitment to providing our overseas partners the very best solutions by facilitating stronger long-term partnerships between them and American companies.”

October 9, 2021