This Ministry of Turkey structures Turkey’s healthcare system into various plans and departments, all of which are governed by laws. Whether citizens or foreigners, regardless of nationality, language, religion, gender, political stance, ideological belief, or social and economic rank are guaranteed by The Ministry of Health of Turkey to have access to medical care.
Types of Healthcare Services in Turkey
There are two types of healthcare services in Turkey: private and public healthcare. The Turkish Ministry of Health is responsible for overseeing the quality of both public and private healthcare. Due to meeting these standards, both private and public hospitals are equipped with cutting-edge technology, professional staff, and contemporary facilities. Another reason that Turkey has a good healthcare system is that Turkey’s healthcare profession has received training in advanced countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
You should be aware that in Turkey the European Health Insurance Card is ineffective but foreigners living in Turkey have two options for health insurance: universal health insurance or private health insurance. Therefore, in order to obtain residency or work permits, it is obligatory to have health insurance.
Universal Health Insurance in Turkey
This provides most health concerns such as emergencies, pregnancy, and sickness. You should take this type of health insurance for at least a year. After paying a negligible amount of money in a monthly fee, you can gain access to all medical services. Furthermore, if you apply for SGK your spouse and your children under the age of 18 can benefit from the healthcare services. This health insurance includes;
- Accidents and illnesses at work
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and other related costs
- Viruses and other infectious diseases
- Excluding chronic disorders, the expenditures on treatment for foreigners and their dependents
- Services for disease prevention
- Discounts on private medical services, as well as other benefits
- Outpatient and inpatient healthcare services
Private Health Insurance in Turkey
It has the same payment type that you need to pay a monthly fee to get medical care services but compared to universal health insurance covers more extensive healthcare services such as fewer unexpected charges, shorter queues, and the finest quality of service. In addition, you may find more doctors or medical staff that can speak English rather than SGK. In order to apply for private insurance in Turkey, you must first locate a private insurance company, select the one that best suits your needs, and pay the quoted price. This type of health insurance includes;
- The cost of medication
- Expenses for diagnostic tests
- The expense of a medical examination
- All types of hospital services
- Dialysis, Chemotherapy, and radiotherapy
- During your stay in the hospital, you will not be charged for a room, a bed, a meal, and any other related charges.
- Transplantation of the cornea, kidney, pancreas, liver, heart, and lungs.
- Physical rehabilitation after surgery
- Intensive care treatments
Family Healthcare Centers or Aile Sağlığı Merkezleri
Every town and village also has a family healthcare center and it is commonly seen that most expats are registering in family healthcare centers in order to get free healthcare services. Access to family healthcare centers is really simple.
The only requirement is that you need to present your resident permit or passport to a consultant. Family healthcare centers are providing healthcare services by a family doctor who has a profession in basic disorders connected to internal, gynecological, child health, and mental problems, both curative and preventive health information for children, young and old people.
Medication and Pharmacies in Turkey
Like healthcare services, medication is cheaper in Turkey. For certain medications, insurance holders do not have to pay a price if only they have registered their name in the NÜFUS system. You can find numerous pharmacies in the same neighborhood and due to that medication is also more approachable. Most of the pharmacies in Turkey are open from 09:00 to 19:00 but there are always pharmacies on duty that are open 24 hours you should find them through E-devlet.
Getting an Appointment
In order to use any type of health insurance service in Turkey you should first make an appointment with E-devlet relevant service such as; E-nebiz. It is for every type of service, from giving a blood test to visiting a Specialist. Or you can simply call 182 to book an appointment.
On the other hand, if you are in an emergency situation you don’t need to get an appointment. Both private and public hospitals have emergency centers that are open 24/7. In Turkey, emergency care is free, yet admission to private hospitals may be charged. If you would like to choose a family healthcare center, they are open Monday through Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Also, for family healthcare centers, you don’t need to get an appointment but you need to wait in your queue. In case of an emergency, you can call 112 for ambulance services.
