Medical Tourism in Turkey
The New Star of Health Tourism; Turkey
Turkey, with 39 226 226 visitors yearly, is the world’s 6th most tourist attracting country. Over the years Turkey gained an international reputation in the sense of hospitality by performing major advance in the tourism and every year improving the capacity and quality of tourism services. Turkey, which is the choice of millions of tourists each year because of the hospitable, warm, high quality service and world-class facilities, is now the new favorite in tourism and health tourism in terms of domestic and international investments
Options Suitable for Every Taste and Need
Turkey where unlimited options are offered for different expectations; worldwide famous 5 star hotels, unique boutique hotels, hostels, and lots of different options, aims to offer the visitors an unforgettable holiday experience with history and natural wondersTurkey successfully brings together the health and tourism with the health-oriented thermal facilities, seashores with pristine beaches, historical beauties carrying the heritage of the empires and modern metropolises.World famous luxury hotels, services provided with Turkish hospitality, international standard healthcare and accommodation facilities provide services in the purpose of making the treatment under the most comfortable conditions for the visitors.
Treatment and Holiday All in One!
While guests who visit Turkey for health tourism are finding the opportunity to be treated by a staff of experienced physicians with medical equipment above the international standards, guests will now find the opportunity to enjoy Turkey's natural beauty and vibrant city life with accommodations in close proximity to the health centers.
In a comparison made across the world, Turkey is in the first rank with JCI accredited certified hospitals. With over 1,200 public and private hospitals, a large network is presented to the patients. 300 of the private organizations providing health services are in close contact with international health centers. Among this strong connection there are; Harvard Medical International, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, and centers like New York Presbyterian.
Significant achievements in Organ transplantation, Genetic testing, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology (the world's largest eye clinic network is located in Istanbul), Cardiology, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery and Dental areas put Turkey forward in health tourism.
With its wellness centers, natural thermal mud baths and spa facilities Turkey is a magnet that attracts nearly half a million tourists a year.
Thermal Tourism in Turkey
In 2007, Turkish Ministry of Health prepared and started implementing Turkish Tourism Strategy and Thermal Tourism Master Plan in order to improve Turkish thermal tourism activities and policies.
Thermal Tourism: Definition
Thermal Tourism involves such various treatments as thermomineral baths, thermal water drinking, inhalation, mud baths, etc., combined with climate treatment, physical therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, psychotherapy and diet, together with recreational activities.
Thermal Cure
Thermal cure is a treatment method by means of therapeutic agents applied in series at regular intervals in certain doses, repeated at certain rate.
Hot Spring Treatment
Hot Spring treatment is a therapeutic treatment system applied by means of ground and sea-borne mineral waters, gases, peliod (mud) and climatic factors as well as natural treatment by the elements of local climate facilities and other necessary treatments along with cures.
Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy is a bathing, consumption and inhalation treatment method by means of such natural treating elements as thermomineral waters, peloids and gases.
Climatotherapy
Climatotherapy is a systematic multidose treatment method by means of such climatic elements as air temperature, moisture, wind force and speed, solar radiation and applications.
Thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy is the medical use of seawater as a form of therapy. It is based on the systematic use of seawater, sea products, and shore climate.
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Exercise, electrotherapy, massage and other methods used together with hot spring treatment.
Medical Treatment
Local or systemic application of medicaments during the hot spring treatment.
Supportive Applications
Supportive applications include health education, diet applications, regulation of daily activities, behavior seminars and psychological support.
Thermal Water
Thermal waters are waters, the temperature of which is more than 20 ºC at the point of origin.
Mineral Water
Mineral waters are waters that contain at least 1 gram of dissolved mineral per liter, reach the surface either naturally or by drilling-gallery method, can be used for physiological and treating activities and are not bacteriologically or chemically polluted.
Thermomineral Water
Thermomineral waters are waters, the temperature of which is more than 20 ºC at the point of origin and that contain at least 1 gram of dissolved mineral per liter.
Specific Balneological Waters
Specific balneological waters contain certain minerals at the rate higher than the threshold value. These are classified as follows;
Carbon dioxide waters: 1 g/lt üzerinde çözünmüş serbest karbondioksit içeren sular.
Sulfurous waters: : 1 mg/lt üzerinde -2 değerli kükürt içeren sular,
Radon waters: 666 Bq/lt üzerinde radon ışınımı içeren sular,
Saline waters: 14 g/lt üzerinde NaCl iceren sular,
odine waters: 1 mg/lt üzerinde iyot içeren sular,
Fluorine waters: 1 mg/lt üzerinde florür içeren sular, olarak sınıflandırılırlar.
Current Advances in Turkish Thermal Tourism
Thermals springs in Turkey are ranked 7th in the world and the best in Europe and Turkey is the 3rd in terms of hot spring applications in Europe. In order to enable more effective and productive use of unique and renewable geothermal resources in Turkey, policies are being developed to establish an understanding different from a traditional hot spring use. With regard to development of Thermal Tourism, the goal is to increase not only the number of high quality facilities with cure parks, cure centers and accommodation integration, but also the number of tourists and the tourism income in general.Besides traditional hot spring bathing approach, Thermal Tourism’s new objective is to establish facilities that can provide wellbeing, vitality, recreation, fun, relaxation and sports activities all the year around. Initiatives of the Turkish Ministry of Health regarding health travel and thermal tourism constitute a significant portion of the diversification and extension of tourism activities in Turkey.
Some of the opportunities presented by Thermal Tourism are as follows;
Touristic availability all around the year,
High occupancy rates in the facilities,
Increased employment,
Development of balanced regional tourism by combining other alternative tourism types,
Together with healing activities at the Thermal facilities, opportunities for healthy-vital life style, entertainment and relaxation,
Such profitable and competitive investments as thermal facilities with integrated cure (treatment) centers that quickly refund the costs.
Geriatrics and Disabled Tourism
Geriatrics
Providing healthcare for the elderly citizens is nowadays one of the most important objectives of the social government. Throughout the world, citizens older than 65 years old are considered elderly and the healthcare services for such citizens is provided by the departments of gerontology.
Gerontology is a science that deals with the functionality, social life, life quality, effective preventive treatments and social ageing of citizens over 65 years old and aims at providing them a more satisfactory and healthy life by protecting their current health state, providing optimal treatment of their illnesses, helping them to sustain an independent life and increasing their life quality.
Geriatric services are provided by hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and ambulatory rehabilitation programs that vary in accordance with the patients’ needs.
Policies and programs regarding ageing in Turkey are focusing on increasing the life quality and general wellbeing. Hotel clinics, healthcare centers, nursing and rehabilitation centers, employing professional medical personnel, provide healthcare services for elderly patients that visit Turkey from Europe and other countries. Due to its virgin nature, calm and settled life opportunity in small towns and villages, Turkey is one of the most significant centers for geriatric health tourism.Combination of treatment and rehabilitation with ecologically clean beaches, thermal facilities, plateaus and the benefaction of sun and nature provides both physiologically and psychologically positive impact on the patients. Especially in Aegean and Mediterranean regions, thermal facilities, plateau tourism and healthcare services, easy access to healthcare centers and natural life style makes Turkey one of the most preferred countries in the world in terms of preventive healthcare treatment for elderly and disabled individuals.