Union of TRNC doctors urged YÖDAK to enforce the law on the training of doctors and dentists

The Union of Turkish Cypriot Doctors (KTTB) on 19 November called on the Higher Education Supervision and Accreditation Authority (YÖDAK) to fulfil its legal obligations in the field of medical and dental training.

In its statement, KTTB reminds that according to the law, YÖDAK is responsible for setting admission requirements for the relevant programmes and conducting a centralised entrance examination.

The union requested information from YÖDAK about the existing training programmes. According to the provided data, 413 TRNC citizens are studying in medical faculties and 313 in dental faculties. KTTB described this situation as “unacceptable for the healthcare system”, noting that if current conditions persist, it may seriously affect its functioning in the future.

The organisation expressed doubts about the adequacy of the infrastructure and academic staff in several new and existing faculties. Requests for lists of lecturers and infrastructure inspection reports were submitted to YÖDAK; in response, the regulator stated that an “inspection” was being conducted.

According to KTTB, some faculties approved by YÖDAK lack proper oversight. Families are advised to choose programmes approved by Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

The union confirmed its readiness to assist inspections and emphasised the need for regular evaluations of all medical and dental education programmes, including specialisation and PhD programmes in dentistry.