Turkey: Over 900,000 health care professionals in 2017

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA

The number of health care professionals in Turkey reached 920,939 last year, the country's Health Ministry announced Friday.

The ministry said the total number of health staff across the country surged 5.7 percent year-on-year in 2017, up from 871,334 in the previous year.

According to the official figures, the total number of physicians -- including specialists, general practitioners, medical residents -- was nearly 150,000 as of 2017.

The number of dentists in Turkey increased by 4.5 percent on a yearly basis to reach some 28,000, while the nurses and pharmacists totaled 166,142 and 28,512 last year, respectively.

The ministry also reported that the number of hospitals in Turkey reached 1,518 last year, of which 571 were private hospitals while 68 were university hospitals.

In 2017, the total number of hospital beds reached 225,863 units -- an annual hike of 3.7 percent.

Last year, Turkey's population reached 80.8 million, while the bed occupancy rate was 68.1 percent across the country.

Turkey is one of the world's top destinations for international medical tourism, as nearly 700,000 foreigners visited the country last year to receive medical treatment.