Downsizing as a Public Policy and Downsizing Practices in the Health Sector

Abstract

Health services provided by foundations in the pre-Republic period became more systematic and organized after the foundation of the Turkish Republic. Healthcare services, offered by the state in the period between 1920 and 1980 and accepted as one of the main duties of the state, became one of the areas in which the state wanted to withdraw after 1980. As a result of the neoliberal wave in the globalized world, policies aimed at downsizing healthcare services in Turkey have been developed and implemented since the 1980s. Accelerated downsizing practices by the Health Transformation Project (2003) continues today. In this study, literature review and descriptive analysis method were used.The aim of this study is to discuss the downsizing practices in the health sector of Turkey. This debate will take place over two periods (before 2002 and after 2002). Especially, the post-2002 period and works on behalf of health sector downsizing in this period will be discussed as to whether there is downsizing or not.