Doctor (GP)

[Dippey]

Hi all, Help please, this question is important to us, thanks. We have been looking for the anwser but having trouble pinning it down.

What is the procedure for registrering with a doctor/GP, is it the same as UK? How does the system work? How do the costs work?

We have looked at the health insurance packages but we would not get full cover. How would we obtain repeat presciptions and have six monthly/annual checkups?

Has anyone who has moved out permanantly actually registrered with a doctor yet, english speaking? any recommondatiuons please.

(Dave, is it possible for "Health issues" to have its own category.I did spend a lot of time hunting around the whole forum for anything on health, including someones laptop going to the doctors, LOL)

[xanadu]

Dippey, there are no GP's as such.
There are specialist doctors that treat individual ailments.
If you need a doctor urgently, instead of going to the GP's surgery as in the UK , you got to A and E at one of the hospitals.
If you have an ongoing problem that requires more care, then you need to find a doctor in town that deals with that particular area.
I use the Esnaf in Fethiye, a private hospital but far cheaper than anything in the UK.
There are health insurance packages out here but I don't use them as the health care is fab and so cheap.
For example I fell over a while ago and went to the Esnaf. Had a consultant, as opposed to normal doctor, X Rays and it came to 22 pounds.
I have had an operation since being here, which cost me 220 pounds for the surgeon and 200 pounds for the 2 nights at the hospital.
The sevice was excellent and the care given was better than anything I have had in the UK.
I am a qualified nurse so I have a good perspective on it all.
I hope that helps a little.

[teresa321]

Heidi may I ask if you pay less because you are married to a Turkish man or because you have a business/work permit?

Are those the prices that anyone moving to Turkey will pay?

Teresa X

[Ingol Angel]

Hi Dippey

Just a bit of info that we found out after moving here at end of October 04.  The hospital that Heidi mentioned (Esnaf) held a meeting for all 'foreign patients' about 2 weeks after we arrived.  The doctor is called Dr Volkan Karaca (english speaking) and he explained that he is intending to introduce the 'Foreign Patient Medical Assistance Service' in order to re-assure the 5000+ Brits etc who are now living in the Fethiye area.  His aim is to set up a similar system to the UK GP's.  My husband and I completed a general health questionnaire and were asked if we would like to register with the hospital (beneficial as we then get charged Turkish prices as against visitor prices).  Over the next few months Dr Karaca intends to visit each household who have registered with the hospital to chat and discuss individual's medical needs.  He then went on to say that once the database has been set up he will be able to communicate with the patients UK GP, if necessary.  And my favourite bit of the meeting was when he handed everyone there a business card with his photo on together with his mobile phone number saying 'I am available to you 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, just call me on my mobile and I will arrange to see you'.  So be re-assured, the medical service is available and in theory at least sounds a lot better than what we were used to in UK.  Hope this helps as we too were a little apprehensive before moving out here permanently but now have no worries whatsoever.

[Orange]

Hi all

Esnaf has been the best, They ahve a nice web site as well..

www.esnafhastanesi.com

ahmet

[teresa321]

That is reassuring news as it is one of the aspects that bothers my husband a bit.

Teresa X