Took medicine boxes to the Parliament podium: 'No insulin, no antibiotics, no eye drops'

The inability to find certain drug groups in pharmacies for some time has been brought to the ongoing budget negotiations in the TBMM. CHP Giresun Deputy Elvan Işık Gezmiş took the medicine boxes she was holding to the podium to address the TBMM General Assembly. Drawing attention to the difficulties in drug supply, Gezmiş said, "There are no drugs in pharmacies. Some drugs exist but are not covered by the Social Security Institution (SGK), or are unaffordable due to price differences. There are no eye drops in pharmacies, no antibiotics, and no insulin for diabetes patients. Unfortunately, patients in Turkey have been unable to access 79 percent of new drugs approved by the European Union in the last 4 years. The licenses of 604 drugs have been canceled, and access to innovative drugs is at the 6 percent level. In other words, patients in the European Union benefit from newly released drugs, but when it comes to us, they are not available."

'OUR CANCER PATIENTS ARE DRAGGED THROUGH THE COURTS'

Elvan Işık Gezmiş spoke as follows:

"It appears that this budget is neither for the retiree, nor the worker, nor the farmer, nor the student, nor for the struggle against deep poverty. This budget is the Palace's report card of deadlock, where the government praises itself and occasionally acts like a hooligan. In the 2025 budget, as in many other areas, the citizen's right to access medicine has been ignored, especially regarding health and pharmaceuticals. However, accessing health services is one of the most fundamental rights of every citizen. Have pharmaceutical companies started to withdraw from our country in recent years due to wrong policies based on exchange rates? There are serious disruptions in drug supply, and the Ministry is not even taking a step to solve this. Unfortunately, patients in Turkey have been unable to access 79 percent of new drugs approved by the European Union in the last 4 years. The licenses of 604 drugs have been canceled, and access to innovative drugs is at the 6 percent level. In other words, patients in the European Union benefit from newly released drugs, but when it comes to us, they are not available. 

There are no drugs in pharmacies. Some drugs exist but are not covered by the Social Security Institution (SGK), or are unaffordable due to price differences. There are no eye drops in pharmacies, no antibiotics, and no insulin for diabetes patients. Immunotherapy drugs, which significantly increase life expectancy in cancer patients, are not covered by the SGK. If the patient has the financial means, they buy them in cash; one box can reach 80 thousand liras. Then our cancer patients are dragged through the courts. It is clear that this budget is not the budget of the patient or those in need of medicine."

News Source: 12punto