Although Turkey has a number of state hospitals, private medical care is of much better quality, and is usually preferred by residents and travellers alike. Turkish private health care is of a very high standard and available at a reasonable cost, particularly in the larger cities and more tourist orientated areas. In more rural areas, good quality medical care may be difficult to find, so it’s important to be prepared.
It is advised that you have suitable travel insurance for your journey. Fortunately, Turkey has relatively few health risks, beyond a slight risk of malaria in the south-eastern part of the country.
Before travelling abroad, you should visit your health physician, at least four to eight weeks prior to your trip. Travellers will need vaccinations against hepatitis A and B. It’s also advised that travellers are vaccinated against rabies, tetanus and diphtheria, as well as measles, mumps and rubella. It’s best to discuss your individual needs with your physician, especially if you are travelling with pregnant women or children, who may have different needs. Malaria can be something of a risk in Turkey, and as yet, there is no available vaccine. Fortunately, Malaria precautions are only essential in the far eastern provinces of Turkey – Cukurova, Amikova, Side and Adana – and then, usually only from May to October. There is minimal malaria risk in the main tourist areas in the west and southwest of the country.
There are many sensible precautions that can be taken against Malaria. It’s possible to avoid mosquito bites by covering up with long sleeved tops and long trousers after sunset. It is also advisable to use a good quality mosquito repellent and sleep under a mosquito net.
Making sure that you have sufficient medical insurance is very important. You should also find a copy of the T7 leaflet, which is available from your nearest post office. The T7 leaflet gives details of health care arrangements between countries – something you may find especially helpful if you are visiting more of Europe than Turkey itself. The T7 leaflet is also accompanied by an application form for the European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC. If you plan to apply for this, you need to allow six weeks before the date on which you plan to travel, in order to ensure that your card reaches you on time. The EHIC is valuable in that it allows cost reduced or free medical care and treatment in many countries across Europe.