Health Tourism in Turkey

If you consider traveling from your homeland to another country for treatment purposes, then you are a potential health tourist.

It is a rising trend in the world. The health tourism concept includes all types of tourisms which mainly provide healthy living. It’s analyzed in three parts:

  1. Medical Tourism (Such as hospital treatments and surgeries)
  2. Thermal Tourism (Recreation and rehabilitation services at thermal facilities)
  3. Tourism for Elderly and Disabled Care (Long term treatments including social activities)

So, why people need to receive treatments outside their own countries? Let’s talk about the advantages of being abroad for medical purposes:

  1. A vacation before or after your treatment.
  2. Higher quality medical service equipped with latest technology.
  3. Affordable costs.
  4. Secrecy demands.
  5. Thermal facilities.
  6. Different environments.
  7. Better opportunities.

Amazing Facts That You Should Know

  1. Turkey has more JCI accredited health care facilities than any nation outside the U.S.
  2. Especially in Istanbul and Ankara, the private, public and university hospitals are equipped with the latest technology.
  3. Healthcare costs are affordable even when compared to those in Asia.
  4. Turkey has plenty of Western-trained doctors who are fluent in English.
  5. The Turkish government enforces strict quality standards in every region of medical technology, facilities and personnel.
  6. All the private, public and university hospitals are inspected twice a year.
  7. All procedures and coordination concerning health tourism is by law under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.
  8. Services provided in nearly all branches: Oncological treatments, cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics, brain surgery, pediatric surgery, aesthetic surgery, ophthalmic, orthodontology, cyber knife, robotic surgery, MR imagings, bone marrow and organ transplantations.
  9. In particular, VAVAMED is a company responsible to arrange and prepare all forms of surgeries and procedures.

Patient Rights

The right of respect the patient’s privacy. He/she expects that while sharing his personal information with VAVAMED company, that such information is kept confidential and is not given to anybody without his permission.

  1. Considerate, courteous and respectful care from all the company staff.
  2. Regardless race, sex, religion, ethnic background, education, social class, physical or mental handicap or economic status, customer has right to receive the best possible medical care.
  3. Any questions from the patient side have to be listened to and should receive proper response with due respect to his cultural and educational background into account.
  4. The right to receive all the information necessary even the complex to understand medical situation.
  5. The right to informed consent and full discussion of risks and benefits prior to any invasive procedure, except in an emergency. The patient must be informed with any alternatives to the proposed procedure.
  6. The right to examine and receive a full explanation of any charges made by the company and in spite of the source of payment.
  7. The patient has the right to obtain any assistance in term of language interpretation.
  8. If necessary an appropriate transfer, even if the patient can’t pay or do not have medical insurance or not entitled to Medicare or Medicaid.
  9. The right to say “No” to treatment and ask for second opinion.
  10. The right to reject discussion, examinations and procedures to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the health and legal consequences of this rejection.
  11. The right of access the patient’s personal medical records.
  12. The right to expect reasonable continuity of care within the scope of services and the company staff.
  13. The right of confidentiality of the patient’s personal medical records which provided by the law.
  14. The right to respect all civil rights and religious opinions of the patient.
  15. The right to present complaints about lack in care or services to the company’s administration or management. Feedbacks are always welcome.
  16. The right to know the names, professions and titles of the facility staff to whom the patient speaks and from who the information or services are received.