According to the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health’s Health Tourism Department announcement of 13 May 2026, hospitals, laboratories, medical centers, and dialysis centers holding an International Health Tourism Authorization Certificate must be accredited by TÜSKA by 31 December 2026. The announcement defines certification administered by Provincial Health Directorates as a separate obligation for other healthcare facilities. It also states that facilities that do not complete the applicable process may not continue international patient activities within the scope of health tourism.

This deadline makes clear that accreditation cannot be treated as a documentation project run by the quality unit alone. It requires an organizational transformation program shared by senior management, clinical leaders, human resources, information management, facilities management, procurement, and patient services.

First, Confirm Which Pathway Applies to Your Organization

Not every organization holding an authorization certificate follows the same assessment pathway. The official announcement places hospitals, laboratories, medical centers, and dialysis centers within the TÜSKA accreditation pathway, while other healthcare facilities follow the certification pathway defined by the Ministry.

The first management decision should therefore be to confirm the organization type and the current applicable programme in writing. Working from the wrong checklist for months is one of the costliest preparation errors. TÜSKA’s current standards page is a starting point for programme and set versions; however, the applicable set and application steps must be verified directly through official channels.

Divide the preparation into six work streams

1. Governance and program management

A management sponsor, a full-time program coordinator, and process owners should be appointed. Weekly working sessions should be distinct from monthly senior-management reviews. Items awaiting decisions, resource needs, and high-risk gaps should be tracked in a single list.

2. Standard and scope analysis

The current standards set should be reviewed requirement by requirement, with each requirement mapped to the existing process, accountable unit, evidence source, and gap. A simple yes/no check is not enough. Practices that are only partly implemented, work only on certain shifts, or cannot be demonstrated through records should be flagged separately.

3. Improving critical processes

Real care and service processes sit at the center of accreditation readiness. Areas such as patient identification, medication safety, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, risk reporting, competence, information security, and continuity of care must be tested through observation, records, and outcomes—not procedures alone.

4. Document and evidence management

Rather than increasing the number of documents, clarify which risk each document controls and who uses it in day-to-day operations. Outdated procedures, conflicting forms across units, and retrospectively created records undermine reliability. Evidence should be a natural output of daily work.

5. Training and competence

A single presentation for all staff is not enough. Training should be tailored to roles; for critical duties, competency verification—not just attendance—should be completed. Access for new starters, night-shift staff, subcontracted workers, and physician groups should be addressed separately.

6. Self-assessment and mock assessment

Self-assessment should take place on site, not at a desk. Interviews, observation, record sampling, and tracer methodology should be used together. The mock assessment should reflect real conditions as closely as possible, and gaps should be closed according to their significance and risk level.

Work Backward from the Deadline

31 December is not the date to begin preparing. Time is needed for the application, assessment capacity, gap closure, and the administrative steps of the official process. The organization’s internal target date should therefore be materially earlier than the regulatory deadline.

A practical management calendar includes these stages:

  • Scope and official program verification
  • Initial gap analysis
  • Improving high risk processes
  • Balancing the document and records system
  • Role-based training and competency verification
  • First self-assessment
  • Corrective action period
  • Independent trial evaluation
  • Application and official evaluation preparation

Define completion criteria for every stage. Use outcome measures such as “the target staff’s competence was assessed” rather than “training completed,” and “implementation was observed across three shifts and verified through records” rather than “procedure ready.”

Questions top management should ask

  • Which current standards set and program apply to us?
  • Have we verified the application and evaluation steps through the official channel?
  • What are our greatest patient-safety and operational-continuity risks?
  • Which gaps are awaiting resources or a management decision?
  • Have we tested practices on nights, weekends, and during peak periods?
  • Are our records natural and reliable evidence of daily practice?
  • Do we have a realistic buffer in which to make corrections before the deadline?

Practical takeaway

TÜSKA preparation is not a short-term documentation task that can be delegated to the quality unit. It is the organization’s capacity to operate governance, clinical safety, workforce competency, data, facilities, and support services within a single quality system.

The regulatory information in this article should be rechecked at the time of publication. The applicable organization type, standards set, application steps, and transition provisions should be confirmed against the current official statements of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health and TÜSKA.

Sources

Stratex TÜSKA Readiness Pathways