THE TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS IN HEALTHCARE: THE IMPACT OF NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES

This article examines the transformation of health services and employment patterns in Turkey under the influence of neo-liberal policies. Initiated in 2003, the Health Transformation Program (HTP) reshaped healthcare from public rights into a market-oriented service. Hospitals began to be managed with business logic, patients were redefined as customers, and health workers faced flexible and insecure forms of employment. The study analyzes the state-capital relationship and the guiding role of international organizations (World Bank, WHO) through historical and comparative methods. Findings suggest that while HTP increased life expectancy, it also exacerbated inequalities in healthcare access and deepened precarity among healthcare workers. City Hospitals, General Health Insurance, subcontracting practices, and performance-based payment systems are critically discussed within the framework of welfare state erosion and capital accumulation dynamics.