EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES IN TÜRKİYE

Citizens of countries that have bilateral agreements (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg) can receive health services from private and public hospitals in accordance with the Social Security Institution legislation. Turkish citizens living in other countries can receive health services as a guest without paying any fee from the family physicians with whom they are registered, or from a family physician close to them during their residence in Türkiye, in accordance with the provisions of the Family Medicine Implementation Regulation, published in the Official Gazette dated 25.01.2013 and numbered 28539. Turkish citizens who are not registered with a family physician can register to a family physician by applying with a petition to the family physician they wish to receive service from or to the Community Health Centres in the district where the family health centre they want to receive service is located. In addition, it is possible to choose a family physician electronically with the e-government password. Family medicine services include preventive health services for individuals, as well as primary diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and counselling services, and these services are provided at family health centres located throughout the country.

The General Directorate of Primary Health Care Services of the Ministry of Health is responsible for the planning and implementation of emergency health services throughout the country.

112 Emergency Health Services:

This service is provided in the event of any emergency illness or injury, 24 hours a day, by dialing the toll-free number 112 and reaching the Command-and-Control Centre located in each province. For calls deemed urgent, a fully equipped ambulance with a doctor, paramedic and emergency medical technician is dispatched from the nearest station to the scene of the incident, where they perform the necessary medical intervention on the patient or injured person at the scene, and transport him/her to a hospital for treatment, if needed.

112 Emergency Health Services are provided in the event of any emergency illness or injury, 24 hours a day, by dialling the toll-free number 112 and reaching the Command-and-Control Centre. Then, a fully equipped ambulance is dispatched from the nearest station to the scene of the incident, where the necessary medical intervention is performed on the patient or injured person, and if needed, they are transported to the nearest hospital for treatment.

112 Emergency Health Services have been expanded to cover the entire country, including all rural areas, and the number of stations increased to 3,494. By the end of September 50%4, 5 million 157 thousand 137 patients or injured persons were transported by 112 ground ambulances. Ninety-five percent of emergency calls to 112 are responded to, and the scene is reached within the first 10 minutes in urban areas and within the first 30 minutes in rural areas.

Within the scope of 50%4-50%7 Road Traffic Safety Action Plan, and under the responsibility of Post-Accident Intervention Specialised Group, specific works have been carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Education, within the framework of performance indicator PG 41.1.20: “Completion rate of the works conducted to legalise and promote the implementation of the ‘Zipper System’ to ensure the fastest possible passage of ambulances on roadways.”

It is vital that drivers of other vehicles on the road who notice the audible or visible signs (sirens or warning lights) of the emergency response vehicles (such as ambulances, fire brigades, the police or AFAD) give the right of way to ambulances, and create an emergency passage corridor by following the Zipper System. A public awareness campaign has been prepared with the slogan “Give Way to Life with the Zipper System!” to ensure that the patients and injured persons are transported to hospitals as quickly as possible through this method.

Ambulance Helicopters;

Ambulance helicopter services started on 28 October 2008. The total number of operational ambulance helicopters has reached 17, with one additional helicopter kept on standby for deployment when necessary. Deployment locations are determined by taking into consideration the geographical structure of the country, transportation conditions, population density, prevailing meteorological conditions and strategic regions. In 15 provinces, this service is provided with 17 ambulance helicopters, including two based in Ankara and one each in İstanbul, Çanakkale, Bursa, İzmir, Antalya, Afyon, Adana, Kayseri, Konya, Diyarbakır, Van, Erzurum, Trabzon and Samsun. All ambulance helicopters are equipped with medical equipment that enable patient transport under intensive care conditions.

Ambulance Aircraft;

Ambulance aircraft have been operated by the Ministry of Health since 2010. The Ministry currently provides service with a fleet of 3 ambulance aircraft, one equipped with 4 stretchers, one with 2 stretchers and one with a single stretcher.

Unlike ambulance helicopters, which operate between sunrise and sunset, ambulance aircraft operate on a 24-hour basis. In addition, they are able to provide services both domestically and internationally, thanks to their high speed, long-range flight capability, high operational ceiling and adjustable cabin pressure.

Like helicopter ambulances, ambulance aircraft are equipped with medical devices and equipment that enable patient transport under intensive care conditions, including all kinds of medical devices and materials required in advanced intensive care conditions, such as ventilators, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. In addition, equipment required for the transport of neonatal cases, such as incubators and neonatal ventilators, are also available onboard the aircraft.

Emergency Health Vehicles;

Motorcycle emergency medical teams have been formed in order to ensure rapid access to the scene and on-site intervention until the ambulance arrives, depending on the urgency and location of the case in response to 112 emergency medical calls. These teams are on mobile duty, especially in metropolitan cities with heavy traffic and in tourist regions.

Detailed information on emergency health services can be accessed at: https://acilafet.saglik.gov.tr/TR-78200/ucak-ambulans.html.

Disaster preparedness capacity;

The importance of being prepared for disasters became better understood after the Marmara Earthquake in 1999, and comprehensive efforts have been initiated since 2003. In particular, it was aimed to strengthen emergency health services, and medical rescue services consisting of volunteer healthcare personnel to respond to disasters nationwide were established - which rapidly gained the title of being the medical rescue team with the highest number of personnel in the world.

These teams, named National Medical Rescue Teams (UMKE), are equipped with all-terrain vehicles and medical rescue equipment in all 81 provinces. The UMKE teams work together with search and rescue units in many rescue operations such as disasters, major accidents, collapses and mining accidents. Within their own structure, team members receive specialized training requiring professional skills, such as mountaineering and diving, depending on the needs of their respective regions.

The UMKE teams are equipped with the knowledge and equipment required to provide on-site medical treatment to disaster victims, trapped under debris after natural disasters, especially earthquakes, or whose extraction is expected to take time. Thus, they aim to minimise the deaths and disabilities that may occur in rescue efforts, by providing medical intervention at the scene. As of today, there are more than 8,383 UMKE personnel ready to serve in professional medical rescue and intervention operations in Türkiye and abroad.

MAJOR MISSIONS UMKE HAS PARTICIPATED IN TO DATE:

Uninterrupted communication systems have been established within the Ministry's Health Disaster and Emergency Coordination Centre (SAKOM) with teams in 81 provinces and abroad via satellite phones and satellite internet, in addition to wired and radio communication systems.

On the other hand, necessary equipment has been procured to ensure that hospitals, especially those in Istanbul, are prepared for disasters, and Hospital Disaster Plans trainings, covering 81 provinces, have been completed throughout the country.

To enhance disaster response capacity, 27 inflatable tent sets, each equipped with a decontamination unit, an operating theatre, an intensive care unit, an imaging unit and laboratory sections, have been procured and delivered to 22 health regional centres, with 5 sets kept in the main warehouse in Ankara. In addition, 6 extreme climate tent sets, each consisting of 8 tents, have been procured for use in regions with extremely cold or extremely hot weather conditions and are being kept ready in Ankara, Istanbul and Erzurum.