Turkey’s efforts to control rising rates of COVID-19 are compromising the ability of hospitals to pay their debts to medtech and pharmaceutical companies. The government has devised a payments plan, but there is catch.

Growth prospects for Turkey’s medical technology market are significant, but local companies have complained about public policies that are harmful to business and about the ongoing crisis in the hospital system. Now, international medtechs are starting to react, with some downscaling local operations and portfolios. Association of Research Based Medical Technologies Manufacturers president Umut Gokalp laid out the problems being faced by industry, and what action he thinks the government should take.

Late payment of hospital debts continues to haunt the Turkish medtech industry, which recently led a public demonstration in Ankara to focus the government’s attention on the issue. Medtech multinationals fear that the ongoing problems will mean Turkey losing the positive momentum it achieved during the pandemic.