Turkish Family Health Centers

Health care in Turkey is a state priority. The country has a well-developed system of medical institutions. They are divided into several levels. It will be useful to know where you can go for help with what problem.

The first level is family health centers. They are called Aile sağlığı merkezi and Belediyesi sağlığı merkezi (municipal health centers). You can apply for medical care here before you have insurance, which is required for hospital care.

Almost all services here are free or cost a minimal amount of money. But you should realize that there are no specialists here. In such centers work family doctors (Aile doktoru), who can give you initial advice about your health, write a basic prescription for medicine or a certificate of health for any government agencies. Family doctors can also refer you to a specialist at a public health center (Poliklinik) based on your health complaints. These centers do not have interpreters on staff, but many doctors speak English.

In order to get to such a center it is necessary to have a propiska (with any residence permit). A propiska is issued by the local migration service CÖÇ. After obtaining it, you need to register on the Turkish health care website E-NABIZ. This site will store all information about your doctor visits, treatment results, vaccinations, examinations, etc. You can access and register in E-NABIZ only through the personal account of Turkish public services E-DEVLET. To register your personal account in E-DEVLET, you need to go to any Turkish Post Office (PTT). This description may sound complicated, but in practice it is quick and easy. E-NABIZ will now allow you to make an appointment with a family doctor who has vacancies. Also on this site you can make appointments with doctors in other medical centers.