Abstract

In Turkey, modern Pediatric Surgery has been founded firstly in teaching hospitals of Izmir and Ankara in the beginning of 1960s. Recently, it is possible to find pediatric surgeons in city hospitals of all regions and cities of Turkey. The aim of this study is to give a brief information about these colleagues and to mention the most frequent and important problems of their practice.

According to our data, the major problems which were detected in nationwide study were as follows: 1. Some parents and even some medical staff still do not have enough information about pediatric surgery, 2. Some of the elective pediatric surgical procedures are still being done by adult general surgeons and urologists, 3. There is a nationwide problem about the Turkish Health Performance System as far as the professional rights and salaries of pediatric surgeons are concerned, 4. Some peripheric hospitals still do not have enough equipment and facilities which are necessary for main pediatric surgical interventions, 5. Not all the hospitals have neonatal and infantile anesthesiology facilities, 6. Private Health Insurance Companies don’t cover most of the pediatric surgical procedures.

Despite all negative conditions, pediatric surgeons try to work hard and do their best even in insufficient conditions. We believe TAPS should work hard to get rid of these problems and should warn the official persons in Ministry of Health for finding urgent solutions for the working conditions of Turkish Pediatric Surgeons.