Ambulance planes collecting Turkish patients from abroad

Four ambulance aircrafts with fully equipped medical staff have recently begun to operate in Turkey for transfer of patients in intensive care units both domestically and abroad. According to the Health Ministry's Press Information Directorate, so far the ambulances have transferred 16 patients from Turkey overseas and 222 patients vice versa. A total of 3,770 patients were transferred within the country's borders, the Directorate told the Hurriyet Daily News. Providing the comfort of a small hospital, each aircraft has a six patient capacity. Three of the aircrafts have turbojets and one other has turboprob technology. The turboprob aircraft has four stretchers and offers medical equipment that enables the transfer of patients in intensive care conditions. According to the Press Information Directorate, the aircrafts also include medical equipment for newborn infants. Any Turkish citizen who falls ill while abroad and is a condition where transfer for Turkey is required can be brought to the country with the ambulance aircrafts free of charge. For the transfer to be cleared, air travel must not pose a threat to the patient's condition, the directorate also stated.