However, in Turkey’s healthcare system—focused on speed and quantity—such complex conditions are frequently overlooked. The limited consultation time for each patient, heavy workloads of physicians, and the lack of clear biomarkers make it easier for healthcare professionals to attribute patients’ intense suffering to psychological causes. Consequently, patients are often dismissed with phrases like “there’s nothing wrong with you,” leading them to withdraw from healthcare services.
According to Dr. Emrah TUNCER, a faculty member in the Social Work Department, this is not merely a gap in health service provision—it is a serious issue of social justice:
“People with chronic illnesses are not only physically but also emotionally and socially made invisible. Since they don’t receive formal diagnoses, they are excluded from social assistance and rehabilitation services. This is exactly where the social work profession must step in: to make the invisible visible, and to bring the marginalized to the center.”
Dr. Tuncer emphasizes the need for social workers to take more active roles in hospitals, family health centers, and community-based health services.
“Social workers can pick up on the social and emotional signals that physicians might miss due to time constraints. They can assess patients’ living conditions, support systems, and care needs, and provide necessary referrals.”
In countries with strong social welfare systems like Austria, a more holistic approach is taken. For example, in Vienna, rehabilitation centers for individuals with long COVID, rheumatic conditions, or fatigue syndromes not only provide physical treatment but also offer access to pools, exercise, psychological support, and social activities. These services are designed to care for the individual’s entire life—not just the illness.
In contrast, Turkey still lags far behind this model. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 60% of family physicians and 77% of family health staff in Turkey are working under high workloads. This limits the time available not only for chronic illness patients but for all patient groups. Furthermore, as of June 15, 2025, a new policy has introduced fees for some health reports issued by family physicians (e.g., driver’s licenses, sports certificates, pilgrimage reports). However, this move has created a false public perception that the fees go directly to physicians, further isolating and devaluing the efforts of healthcare workers.
Dr. Tuncer argues that the solution lies not only in hiring more staff but also in building a patient-centered, interdisciplinary, and socially just healthcare model:
“Managing such illnesses requires a system in which physicians, social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists, and nurses collaborate. Education and health policies need to be reconsidered within a more holistic framework. The goal should not be to blame physicians, but to create structures that support them.”
