New law for all Turkish medical tourism companies

The Turkish government has introduced regulations that all medical tourism companies must follow to ensure quality, safety and legitimacy of service.

MCAN Health has announced it is one of the first companies accredited by the Turkish Ministry of Health to provide medical tourism services in Turkey.

Istanbul-based MCAN Health is a medical tourism agency targeting the UK, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and other Northern European countries.  It provides access to cosmetic surgery, dentistry, eye surgery and hair transplant treatments in Turkey.

The agency comments: “Some patients may doubt the quality of service [in Turkey] due to the price gap in cosmetic surgery and hair transplantation compared to Europe. These doubts are not groundless considering the lack of strict inspection and control by the government. It is no secret that there are bad apples in the medical tourism industry in every part of the world.”

The Ministry of Health accreditation guarantees a universal standard in service and treatment quality. Standards include providing patient care services in at least two languages 24/7, insurance included in the travel package, informing the patients with the details about the doctors available, and the patient’s absolute right to make an official complaint.

Gulsultan Dogan of MCAN Health: “Every medical travel company providing treatment for international patients must be accredited by the Ministry of Health, and this adds more safety and high standards. Patients who contract with accredited companies can be sure that their rights, privacy, and safety are protected by the authorities of the country.”

Istanbul is the main destination in Turkey where most inbound medical tourists get treatment, and it has 400 medical travel companies.

The new state owned International Health Services (USHAS) is part of the Ministry of Health and when fully operational it will take over the authorisation of medical tourism intermediaries.

For an independent assessment of the inbound medical tourism sector and size of the market in Turkey, visit the IMTJ Country Profile.