Turkey Extends Surgery Hours to Nights and Weekends

The Turkish Ministry of Health has announced a major policy change aimed at reducing the backlog of surgery appointments in public hospitals. Under a new directive, operating rooms and endoscopy units will now function not only during regular daytime hours but also in the evenings and on weekends.

The ministry sent an official circular to all state hospitals, requiring them to extend service hours in order to make surgical care more accessible. The move comes after rising concerns over long waiting lists that often push operations months into the future.

Details of the Circular

According to the directive, hospitals must ensure that at least 25% of operating room and endoscopy unit capacity remains available beyond normal hours:

• Weekdays: Extended until 10:00 p.m.

• Weekends: Open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The new schedule will be organized either through shift-based rotations or overtime arrangements for healthcare staff. The ministry emphasized that this adjustment was made within the legal framework governing working hours.

Official Justification: Improving Access

In its statement, the Ministry of Health underlined that the change is intended to optimize resources and provide better service for patients who face delayed surgeries due to overcrowded schedules.

“The working arrangements of our healthcare staff will be carried out in compliance with existing regulations. Our goal is to facilitate citizens’ access to healthcare and to make the best possible use of available capacity,” the statement read.

Reactions from the Medical Community

While the policy aims to address patient concerns, not all stakeholders are in agreement. The Istanbul Medical Chamber expressed reservations, warning about risks to both staff and patients.

Chamber President Prof. Dr. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu compared the situation to aviation safety, saying: “This is neither suitable for the health of medical staff nor for the patients they treat. Nobody would want to board a plane flown by a tired pilot.”

According to Küçükosmanoğlu, extending surgery hours could worsen fatigue among healthcare professionals, potentially increasing the risk of errors during procedures.

Balancing Patient Needs and Worker Fatigue

The debate highlights the delicate balance between meeting patient demand and protecting healthcare workers. On one hand, the extended hours may shorten waiting times for patients, especially in departments where elective surgeries face significant delays. On the other hand, medical professionals fear that the intensity of overtime may impact both quality of care and staff well-being.

International studies often show that surgical error rates increase with fatigue, raising questions about how hospitals will safeguard both patients and staff under the new system.

Growing Pressure on Public Hospitals

Turkey’s healthcare system has faced increasing strain in recent years due to rising demand, population growth, and an aging demographic that requires more frequent medical interventions. Long queues for diagnostic tests, outpatient visits, and especially surgeries have become a recurring issue in major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

By expanding surgery schedules into evenings and weekends, the ministry aims to spread patient load more evenly and reduce bottlenecks in hospital workflows. This move is also expected to lessen the pressure on private hospitals, which many citizens turn to when they cannot find timely appointments in public facilities.

Possible Outcomes of the New Policy

If successfully implemented, the initiative could bring several benefits:

• Shorter waiting times for patients requiring planned operations.

• Better utilization of hospital infrastructure, as facilities will operate more hours per week.

• Increased flexibility for patients who cannot take time off work for weekday surgeries.

However, challenges remain:

• Ensuring adequate staffing without exhausting doctors, nurses, and technicians.

• Maintaining quality and safety of surgical procedures outside standard working hours.

• Addressing union and professional opposition that could arise if staff feel overburdened.

Conclusion: A Controversial but Necessary Move?

The Ministry of Health’s decision to extend surgical operating hours reflects the urgency of tackling Türkiye’s surgery backlog problem. For patients, the change may bring much-needed relief. For healthcare professionals, however, it raises valid concerns about workplace safety, fatigue, and service quality.

Whether the initiative will succeed depends on how effectively hospitals manage staffing, scheduling, and patient safety protocols. For now, the debate captures a broader truth: as healthcare demand rises, policymakers face tough choices on how to balance access, efficiency, and human limits.