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Over the past twenty years, Turkey has undergone a quiet but extremely powerful transformation in healthcare. Internationally standardized hospitals, highly experienced physicians, a competitive cost structure and geographic advantage have combined to turn Turkey into a healthcare hub that draws attention on a global scale.
This past weekend I attended the 15th congress of OHSAD (the Association of Private Hospitals and Healthcare Institutions). Alongside private-sector representatives, there was high-level participation from ministers, deputy ministers, director generals and bureaucrats from the ministries of health, finance and labor. Throughout the panels, on one hand the low SUT prices (the Ministry of Finance’s fee schedule) and the inability to cover rising operating costs were discussed, while on the other hand people spoke of the incredible opportunities that would open up for Turkey if health tourism were given room to grow. Two different realities sat at the same table: the pressure of the current system, and the potential of the future.
The meeting also openly addressed the roles that USHAŞ and similar structures should take on in developing health tourism, along with expectations and strategies for increasing the flow of international patients and turning Turkey into a global health brand. This was not merely a sector discussion; it was the framework of a national vision.
Just as I was thinking about this picture, a phrase came to mind:
“Dum spiro spero” — while I breathe, I hope.
This ancient phrase is usually interpreted as a symbol of individual resilience. Yet today, it is possible to apply this saying to a country’s economic story. Because economies, like people, breathe, contract, struggle and try to find their balance again. Turkey’s long-running current account deficit issue is exactly such a story.
The current account deficit is not just a financial indicator; it is also a reflection of a structural reality. While dependence on energy imports in particular continues to be one of the most fundamental drivers of this deficit, conventional attempts at a solution have often remained stuck in the same cycle. Perhaps, though, it is time to change the question: is Turkey trying to close its current account deficit, or is it searching for a new economic equilibrium?
The answer to this question may be hidden in an unexpected place, in one of humanity’s most basic needs: health.
Over the past twenty years, Turkey has undergone a quiet but extremely powerful transformation in healthcare. Internationally standardized hospitals, highly experienced physicians, a competitive cost structure and geographic advantage have combined to turn Turkey into a healthcare hub that draws attention on a global scale. But evaluating this development solely under the heading of “health tourism” actually means missing the bigger picture. Because what is at stake here is now far more than a service. It is an increasingly deep model of health exports.
Today, the number of patients Turkey reaches through health tourism stands at roughly 1.4 million. While this figure represents a significant success, it also shows that we are still at the very beginning of the road. Because if this number were to reach 10 million, and given an average revenue per patient of around 2,500 dollars, health export revenues could rise to about 25 billion dollars. This scale is not just a sectoral success; it represents a macroeconomic lever that could transform Turkey’s current account balance.
At this point, a striking fact emerges. Today, within the system, the average revenue generated from a patient covered by Turkey’s social security institution (SGK) is around 39 dollars, while the average revenue from a foreign patient is around 2,500 dollars. This gap is not just a financial comparison; it is also a powerful signal of the kind of value-creation model Turkey’s healthcare sector needs to pursue.
So the issue is not simply about accepting more patients, but about reaching the right patient segment with the right model. Rather than being known predominantly as a country for hair transplants, it would be far more fitting for Turkey to stand out as a country offering advanced technology and higher-risk treatments. In this sense, health tourism should not be treated as a side activity; rather, it should be regarded as a strategic field that will shape the future of Turkey’s health economy. But for this to happen, health policy needs to be redesigned to support this vision.
The most critical element of this redesign is coordination among institutions. The Ministry of Health’s regulatory and quality-setting role, the Ministry of Tourism’s promotional power, the Ministry of Trade’s incentive mechanisms, the Ministry of Finance’s financial support and tax policies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ approach to speeding up visa processes specifically for patients coming to our country for health purposes… If all these structures move simultaneously and with a shared vision, the picture that is seen as a goal today could turn into a concrete economic model in a short time.
The health sector differs from classic export categories. Because what is exported here is not just a service, but also trust, recovery and quality of life. A patient coming from another country to Turkey for treatment is not merely an economic transaction; it is also a concrete expression of trust placed in a country. In this sense, health exports represent a field with high value-creation capacity, one that is sustainable and fed by global dynamics.
Turkey now faces a clear threshold. It will either sustain its current success within limited growth, or turn this field into a strategic tool of economic transformation. The second path requires becoming a country that not only accepts patients but exports a healthcare model, selling knowledge and systems. This would make Turkey far more than a destination — a global point of reference.
The phrase “Dum spiro spero” takes on new meaning right at this point. The issue is no longer just breathing, but being able to turn that breath into value. Turkey’s competitive advantage perhaps lies exactly here. Because this country has the capacity not just to treat, but to design the experience of healing.
In conclusion, health exports may not, on their own, close Turkey’s current account deficit today. But with the right vision, strong health policies and effective cooperation among institutions, this field has the power to reshape Turkey’s economic balance.
Perhaps, for Turkey, hope is hidden not in underground resources, but in the systems that touch human life, heal it, and allow it to breathe again.
And perhaps today we need to read this phrase anew:
As long as we breathe, there is hope.
But as long as we act together, that hope turns into a real future.
