Turkey’s medical equipment industry exported products like protective gears and masks worth nearly $5 billion (TL 40 billion) in 2020, as the sector’s foreign sales were boosted by the pandemic, according to a sectoral official.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely affected public health and many sectors all over the world, mobilized the medical equipment sector as demand for personal protective products like masks or gloves skyrocketed, Turkey Health Industry Employers' Association (SEIS) Chairperson Metin Demir said Thursday,
Foreign sales of protective gears alone generated some $4 billion in the total export figure, he added.
Demir said the industry made use of its advantageous position as one of the leading manufacturers of protective equipment in the world.
The sector’s exports stood at $600 million in 2019 before reaching $5 billion in the pandemic year of 2020.
"We made a breakthrough in exports compared to previous years," he said, noting that Chinese producers were out of the game at the beginning of the pandemic which turned into an advantage for Turkey.
"Toward the end of 2020, China returned to the game," Demir said, but Turkish producers are still selling their products at competitive prices.
Demir said the sector is forecast to reach $2 billion this year.
Commenting on the planned establishment of the Health Industries Presidency, Demir said the establishment of the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) significantly mobilized Turkey’s defense sector and they expect a similar development for the health sector, as well.
The Health Industries Presidency will be established by the end of this year.
"We want it to be a structure that makes regulations compatible with the European Union legislation, and one that simultaneously carries out projects with the sector and enables the coordination," he said.
Meanwhile, Demir added that the sector still has an issue regarding receivables from university and public hospitals which stand around $3 billion as yet.
"This problem was only about university hospitals between 2013-2018, however, from January 2018 to August 2020, the public hospitals were added, too. Large and international companies waived their receivables, but SME-scale enterprises could not waive due to limited opportunities," he said.