Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) hosted a panel titled "A Vision for Future Doctors in a Globalized World," focusing on health tourism.
The panel, held at the OMU UZEM Conference Hall, featured presentations by Prof. Dr. Hakan Hakeri, Founding President of the Medical Law Association from the USA, on "Health Tourism Law," and Dr. Ezgi Canpolat, representing Behlül Ünver, General Director of International Health Services Inc. (USHAŞ), who presented "USHAŞ's Projects in National and International Healthcare."
Prof. Dr. Hayati Akbaş discussed the current developments in Samsun’s medical tourism with a presentation titled "Medical Tourism."
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz, in his presentation "OMU's Vision and Mission in Health Tourism," highlighted that Türkiye hosted 1.5 million health tourists in 2023 and 2 million in 2024.
"We are gathered here today to inform you about Türkiye’s rapidly growing and strategically significant health tourism potential and to share concrete steps OMU has taken in this field," said Prof. Dr. Kurnaz. He emphasized that the primary driver of health tourism is the pursuit of better-quality, quicker, and more economical healthcare services.
Highlighting long healthcare waiting periods in countries like Canada and the UK, Kurnaz stated, “In 2024 alone, people spent approximately 100 billion dollars just to receive healthcare. This figure is expected to rise to 125 billion dollars by 2028.”
Kurnaz pointed out that Türkiye, with its strong healthcare infrastructure and expert medical personnel, is uniquely positioned in the global market. "In 2024, Türkiye welcomed about 2 million health tourists, generating revenues of 3 billion dollars. Our target is to increase this revenue to 10 billion dollars by 2025 and 20 billion dollars by 2028," he said.
Prof. Dr. Kurnaz also highlighted Samsun’s rising significance, noting that approximately 30,000 international health tourists chose Samsun in 2024. “Currently, our city hosts 61 certified health tourism facilities. As Ondokuz Mayıs University, we are proud to be a crucial stakeholder in this vision,” he stated.
Recalling that OMU's Health Application and Research Center (SUVAM) was granted an “International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate” by the Ministry of Health with a score of 94 in 2023, Kurnaz mentioned that the center served 5,054 international patients in 2022 alone, constituting 16% of Samsun’s total health tourists.
Prof. Dr. Kurnaz emphasized that SUVAM's success extends beyond mere numbers: “With our modern hospital infrastructure boasting 1,150 beds, a robust team of over 200 faculty members, multilingual translators, and advanced digital patient management systems, we conduct ethical, transparent, and scientific processes.”
Stressing OMU’s readiness, including the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Vocational School of Health Services, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center, Guesthouse, and OMTEL Hotel, Kurnaz added that they aim to expand global outreach through multilingual international promotion strategies and digital communication networks.
Concluding, Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz affirmed, “At OMU, our goal extends beyond treatment; we aim to provide comfort, security, ethical standards, and academically accredited healthcare. We will persistently strive to establish Türkiye as a global health tourism hub.”
Prof. Dr. Yetkin Bulut, Dean of OMU Tourism Faculty and panel moderator, highlighted that Türkiye meets global healthcare standards. He emphasized the importance of accreditation in health tourism, noting, "Social media is critical for healthcare marketing today. Recommendations from satisfied patients significantly influence health tourism. In health tourism, everyone is each other's customer, forming interconnected service chains from initial transportation to final healthcare provision."
Prof. Dr. Fatih Özkan, President of Samsun Health Tourism Association (SASTUD), stated that while healthcare facilities often view each other as competitors, collaboration in promotion and patient transfers is vital. "We organized two major health summits in Samsun in collaboration with the Anatolian Lions Confederation (Ascon). I encourage everyone to follow and contribute to civil society organizations in health tourism,” he urged.
The event also saw participation from Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Süleyman Demirtaş, academics, and students.
LISTEN