The Association of Physicians of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus calls on patients to personally contact the Minister of Health due to a shortage of medicines

The Association of Physicians (Kıbrıs Türk Tabipleri Birliği) has appealed to patients who have a prescription but failed to obtain their medication, urging them to contact the Minister of Health, Hakan Dinçyürek, directly. The appeal followed the minister’s statement to parliament claiming that there is no shortage of medicines in the country, despite complaints from patients with hypertension, cancer, psychiatric, and other chronic conditions.

The president of the association, Ceyhun Dalkan, emphasized that guaranteed access to medicines is a constitutional right of citizens, and it is the minister’s duty to ensure it. He noted that the absence of medicines means the fundamental function of the healthcare system is disrupted — even with a prescription, patients cannot receive the necessary treatment.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health previously stated that drug supplies were at a satisfactory level and launched a new procurement program for oncology and immunology drugs. However, representatives of the Association of Physicians point out that in practice, access to medication remains limited.

Doctors urge patients to document cases of not receiving medicines, note the service points visited, and send letters to the Minister of Health stating that they did not obtain their prescribed drugs. According to the association, this measure will help draw government attention to a chronic problem — the availability of medicines for the most vulnerable health groups.