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.

Alignment with the MDR gave Turkish medtech access to the EU market, but in domestic pricing, costs, reimbursement and payment of hospital debts, industry might feel it is barely at the starting line.