Page 90 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

and the patient is not charged any fees. Inspections are made every 2 months by the
Provincial Health Directorate, which reports to the Ministry of Health. There are 13
voluntary health facilities: 1 in Kilis, 6 in Hatay, 2 in Gaziantep, 3 in Mersin and 1 in
Istanbul.

However, outside of Temporary Accommodation Centers, “migrant health units” are
also established in places where refugees under temporary protection are concentrated.
Each unit consists of 1 physician; 1 midwife, nurse, or health officer; 1 interpreter; and
1 service staff member. As of August 2017, there were a total of 200 migrant health
units in 76 migrant health centers providing healthcare for refugees in 19 provinces:
Adana, Adıyaman, Ankara, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Hatay, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş,
Kayseri, Kilis, Konya, Malatya, Mardin, Mersin, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Sakarya, and
Bursa, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

These migrant health units provide preventive, diagnostic, and curative health services.
Persons under temporary protection are referred to these centers in order to overcome
the language problem, as Syrian health officials have begun to be employed at these
centers as a result of negotiations with the authorities.

Data relating to the healthcare services provided for the Syrians who have come to
Türkiye is extremely striking in terms of understanding the costs and the efforts Türkiye
has made in this regard. Beginning from 2011, when Syrians began to enter our country,
through December 11, 2017, 31,449,800 examinations were carried out, 1,326,849
patients were hospitalized and treated, 1,112,058 Syrian patients were operated on,
276,158 Syrian babies were born in hospitals, and 3,215,128 doses of vaccines were
administered to Syrian babies and children in accordance with the vaccination schedule.

Table 15: Data on health services provided to Syrians in Türkiye

Number of Number of Number of
Doses of vaccines given
polyclinic Number of Syrians surgeries births given by
to Syrian babies and
services provided hospitalized performed on Syrians in our
children
to Syrians Syrians country
31.449.800 1.326.849 1.112.058 276.158 3.215.128 doz

Source: AFAD memorandum dated December 11, 2017

The vaccination program is applied to Syrian infants and children under temporary
protection as well as to Turkish citizens. However, in terms of those who are subject to
free residence, there may be follow-up problems.

90 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT