CTMA National Report, May 2019
Economic and political issues
In North Cyprus, the political and the economic crisis continued within the past months. In addition there has been a change of government and a new one just established. As we declared at the last FEMS meeting, the budget for the health services is halved because of the devaluation of the Turkish Lira, which couldn’t be restored with 2019 budget of the country. The proportion of health is 8% of the national income. The population in our country is unstable. On the one hand we receive immigrants from Turkey, Middle East, far East even Africa, on the other hand we suffer from brain drainage. The commitment concerning the new hospital buldings, has not been actualised yet, which is a disadvantage for the quality of health services. The government has been avoiding investment in public hospitals for a long time, which ensures plenty of patient referrals to private sector and abroad and huge wasteful spending. Additionally, lack of investment, doctors and health workers makes the waiting lists longer and longer. Our Association and Union keep saying that “health is not a cost but an investment”.
The attitude of the Government and the responses of our Association and Union The government have decided to take some measurements, like cutting off overtime work fees of public servants, including health workers and doctors in the past summer. Our Association CTMA rejected and made statements in order to create public opinion and prevent this attempt. Physicians Union (TCPU) and the unions of the other stake holders strike very recently and an agreement has been achived, accordingly the unions accepted 15% cut from the overtime work fees for a period of four months.
Both our Association and Union declared that “saving from health means saving from life”. The government didn’t attempt to take any other measurements on fees and salaries.
Educational issues
Currently there are six medical and seven dentistry faculties in North Cyprus. The number of graduates are enormously increasing raising the risk of unemployment for the doctors. We strongly suggest that the medical and dental student education should be planned according to the national necessities and also should involve modern standards and norms.
General issues
As the violence against healthcare workers is increasing in a threatening manner, we are preparing a law proposal which aims to maintain a safer workplace for all doctors.
Last words
Because of the economic crisis due to the sharp devaluation of Turkish Lira the new government may consider deduction in over time fees and other wages. We are preparing to stand strongly against this unacceptable probable attempt.