Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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25.09 The same website also recorded:

“Private hospitals are preferred by patients of middle and upper classes. Despite the fact that state hospitals are sometimes better equipped than the some of private hospitals, many patients prefer going to a private hospital because of the personal and friendly care offered.
 Acibademköy – Istanbul. Website: http://www.acibadem.com.tr/English/

 Acibadem Hospital, Carousel, Istanbul - Website: http://www.acibadem.com.tr/English/

 Acibadem Hospital, Kadiköy - Website: http://www.acibadem.com.tr/English/

 Amiral Bristol American Hospital - Güzelbahçe Sokak, 20 Nişantaşı Istanbul.

 German Hospital, Sıraselviler Caddesi, 119 Taksim Istanbul.
State Hospitals – due to limited funding, Turkish state hospitals don’t have the best sanitary conditions. They are always full of patients and have endless queues. The lack of hygiene, lack of staff and lack of care is easily felt. Ironically however, they have some of the most well-known and respected doctors on staff, particularly at the university hospitals.” [50]
HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment
25.10 The Turkish Ministry of Health (MOH) Country report of February 2006 accessed via the UNAID in their country progress report noted that:
“The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Turkey is at a reasonable level; the first case of HIV infection was reported in 1985, and by the end of 2004, a total of 1,922 cases had been identified. The rate of increase for the reported number of HIV/AIDS cases has been more or less constant over the last three years (about 190 reported new cases annually) and the estimated prevalence is 3,700 cases out of a population of over 70 million.” [39a]
25.11 UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006 however noted that:
“The epidemics in Central Europe remain small in comparison with the rest of Europe. Only four countries reported more than 100 new HIV diagnoses in 2005: Poland (where 652 people were newly diagnosed with HIV), Turkey (332), Romania (205), Serbia and Montenegro8 (112) and Hungary (110) (EuroHIV, 2006a).” [39b]

25.12 The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS reported in December 2003 that “At the end of 2002, Turkey had a cumulative total of 1,515 reported HIV/AIDS cases. 1.98% are among children under 15 and 33% are among women… To ensure blood safety, commercial blood donation has been fully abolished. The government ensures that all HIV infected patients receive antiretroviral treatment.” [39]

25.13 In December 2001 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office contacted Hacetepe University, Ankara, which provides world-standard treatment for HIV and AIDS. The University confirmed that such drugs such as thyroxine, sequinavir, D4T, 3TC, acyclovir, zirtek, diflucon and metoclopramide, or their substitutes, are available in Turkey. [4a]
Cancer treatment
25.14 The International Observatory on End of Life Care website, dated 2006, stated that:
“Turkey is an area where supportive care with hospice/ palliative care is linked to the development of other services, particularly within hospital based oncology units… There are no specialist palliative care services in Turkey. Medical oncology units and departments of algology (pain) at major hospitals in the country provide pain control and symptom relief. Oncologists and pain specialists in seven hospitals report actively working to establish the concepts of palliative care... The majority of cancer patients are treated in university hospitals that support units with pain specialists and medical oncologists… Some specialist cancer state hospitals such as the Dr Ahmet Andicen Oncology Hospital and Demetevler Oncology Hospital will provide pain relief and symptom management. No information, however, is currently available about the development of palliative care services in the state hospital system or the development of training in the 57 medical schools around the country. There are around 30 specialist ‘pain centres’ and 20 medical faculties with departments of algology in Turkey. There are no reported activities for paediatric palliative care.” [33] (current palliative services)
25.15 The same website also noted that:
“Individual physicians (and their colleagues) have reported active involvement in developing the concepts of palliative care within departments and units in three main areas of the country; in Ankara, a pain specialist at Hacettepe University Hospital, three oncologists, one at Başkent University Hospital, one in the Gulhane Military Academy, (GATA) and one at Gazi University Hospital; in Istanbul, a pain specialist at the Istanbul University Medical Faculty and two oncologists at the Marmara University Medical Faculty; there is one pulmonary specialist developing concepts of palliative care at the Pamukkale University Medical School, Denizli. Medical and nursing professionals have also expressed interest in palliative care at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine.” [33] (current palliative services)