Medical & Health Tourism in Turkey: why get treated in Turkey

Turkey – Turkiye, a country known for the beauty of its beaches, its antique sites, its breathtaking mosques and its exciting bazaars is becoming the number one name for medical and health tourism. Thanks to its central location, straddled between Europe, Africa and Asia, it has become favorite with patients from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia who seek affordable, yet quality medical treatments.

This is great news for the Turkish economy since each year, millions of people travel to other countries for medical treatments. It is estimated that 5% of all international trips are medical tourism-related. The global market size for medical tourism has recently reached $100 billion annually, with consumer spending estimated to average $10,000 per person. They range from dental health and hair transplantation to thermal spas and aesthetic surgeries.

What Makes Turkey Special?

A variety of factors contribute to the rise of Turkey as a medical tourism capital. The country’s geographic location and the efforts made by the Turkish government to bring its medical institutions up to the latest standards are the largest contributing factors. Other factors such as low prices, lack of wait times, weather and historical heritage also play a role.

Top medical treatments with the medical tourists include plastic, aesthetic and cosmetic surgeries (rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift and neck lift, mommy makeover, liposuction, breast aesthetics, Brazilian butt lift (BBL), post bariatric, etc.) dental implants, veneers and dental treatments, laser eye LASIK treatments, obesity and weight loss treatments (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric balloon, etc.), and of course without a doubt the most popular one: hair transplant in Turkey.

Istanbul can be considered as the best city to have medical treatment in Turkey. And than comes the other cities such as Ankara, Antalya, and Izmir.

Why You Should Choose Turkey for Your Medical Treatment?

Lower prices, better quality medical institutions and surgeons and no wait times are an unbeatable combination for seeking medical tourism and treatment in Turkey. Experiencing a rich culture and history, relaxing on cerulean beaches and shopping in the bazaars are added bonuses which are sure to make an unforgettable medical travel experience. Below is a list of 10 factors which make Turkey special:

10 Reasons Why You Should Have Your Medical Treatment in Turkey

1. Quality of Medical Institutions

Medical facilities in Turkey are furnished with the latest medical technologies and offer better quality service than what is normally found in Western countries. Great opportunity in the medical tourism industry.

Approximately 55 percent of Turkey’s 1200+ hospitals are owned and run by the Turkish Ministry of Health, while the remainder are owned by universities, private companies and international organizations.

The Ministry of Health sets the local standards and guidelines that hospitals, health care facilities, and medical practitioners obey. These governmental institutions ensure the stringent enforcement of quality, technological and medical tourism requirements for both public and private health care organizations in Turkey.

Most hospitals have local and international accreditations, including the JCI (Joint Commission’s International), JACHO (Joint Commission on Healthcare Organizations Accreditation), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), and Western medical associations and facilities affiliations.

2. Quality Doctors and Surgeons

The technologically developed world-class hospitals in Turkey are breeding grounds for brilliant doctors and surgeons. Turkish doctors receive a rigorous education and training and get more exposure to patients due to the number of procedures they perform each year.

The variety of cases that Turkish surgeons are exposed to on a daily basis makes them more experienced than surgeons in Europe and North America. What’s more, the lack of legal constraints which apply to surgeons in Europe and America, leads to more boldness in creating the patient’s desired result.

The prowess of Turkish surgeons is most notable in the fields of rhinoplasty and plastic surgery in general. It is also notable in the fields of hair transplant, dental procedures, cancer treatment, organ transplant and fertility treatments.

3. Geographic Location

Rare are the countries which have Turkey’s advantage to be at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa. Within the 4-hour flight distance radius, Turkey has an opportunity to provide health-care services to 1.5 billion people.

Turkish Airlines, the country’s national airline company, serves more countries than any other carrier in the world, with more than 120 countries covered and connected to its hub in Istanbul. A total of more than 300 flights come from various countries and arrive in one of Turkey’s five major airports on a daily basis.

4. Historic Heritage

Turkey hosts 19 cultural properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 2022. This wealth of historical sites creates a host of opportunities for travel and discovery. Regardless of where a patient may choose to have a treatment, historical and cultural gems are around the corner.

5. Treatment Prices

Getting better quality treatments for a lower price is what makes Turkey so attractive to patients from Europe and North America. In Fact, prices of medical treatments in Turkey are a fraction of the prices of medical treatments in Europe and North America. On average, medical treatments are  90% cheaper in Turkey than in the United States and 70% cheaper than in Europe.

After calculating the total expense of surgery,  travel and accommodation costs, the total price of surgery in Turkey would still be cheaper than having the same surgery in Europe and North America, so why not have a holiday at the same time!

6. Wait Times

The plethora of medical institutions in Turkey as well as an abundance of well-educated, talented and experienced surgeons make wait time almost nonexistent.

Any surgery a patient may need, such as bariatric, cardiac or organ transplant, which usually have wait times that span over years in Western countries, can be booked in less than two weeks in Turkey.

7. Variety of Treatments Offered

From plastic surgeries, cosmetic treatments, bariatric procedures, hair transplant procedures, dental treatments, organ transplants, fertility treatments, cancer treatments, psychiatric retreats and thermal spas, Turkey offers it all.

The country is a one-stop destination for a variety of treatments. Couples and groups travelling together usually find something to satisfy everyone.

8. Infrastructure

Turkey’s highly developed infrastructure of air, land and sea transportation systems contributes to the ease of travel for nationals and tourists alike. With over 100 airports, 20 of which are international, Turkey’s air infrastructure is well-developed throughout the country.

Istanbul remains the main center of international travel however with its two international airports (Istanbul Airport [IST] & Sabiha Gokcen Airport [SAW]) receiving most of the country’s air traffic.

9. Hospitality

The hospitality industry in Turkey includes a range of facilities from the top quality, super modern deluxe category hotels, to holiday complexes, boutique hotels and simple, affordable lodgings.

Although city hotels, summer resort hotels and holiday complexes constitute the greater part of the accommodation industry, there are numerous ski, winter resort and spa hotels in various parts of the country. Most high standard hotels and holiday complexes have a variety of recreation, entertainment facilities. There are also a number of golf courses of international standard in various parts of the country.

10. Thermal Sources

Turkey is one of the 7 countries in the world in terms of thermal source richness with almost 1300 thermal springs throughout Anatolia. The country ranks first in Europe thanks to its wealth in thermal spas. Throughout history people have travelled to Anatolya seeking health in its hot springs.