After registering with the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province where you reside, you will obtain your identification document (Kimlik) from the Turkish authorities. Syrians with Temporary Protection ID numbers starting with 99 are eligible for almost all the assistance provided by the Turkish authorities, including medical and medication assistance within the province of their registration.
As a registered individual under TP, the costs of health services at all levels including at public health centres (toplum sağlığı merkezleri in Turkish), family health care centres, public hospitals and public university hospitals, would be covered for you on an equal footing with Turkish citizens. This is in accordance with the Health Care Implementation/Budget Law (Sağlık Uygulama Tebliği).
There are also Migrant Health Centres (MHC) established for Syrian beneficiaries of temporary protection; these employ Arabic-speaking staff and are available in some provinces. Syrians can approach these centres as primary health clinics. Up-to-date information on these centres can be obtained from the Ministry of Health website or from the Provincial Directorate of Health in the province of your residence.
In the absence of Migrant Health Centres, you can approach public health centres in your province to benefit from primary health services free of charge.
Unless there is an official referral from other state health institutions, you would need to pay the expenses at private hospitals and clinics.
If you’re not registered with the Turkish authorities, only emergency services at the hospitals would be available and accessible to you free of charge. In this case you may also approach private hospitals or clinics; however, you would need to pay the expenses.
UNHCR and its partners also provide counselling and assistance to persons with serious medical conditions. Find the contact details here.
Medicines
As a Syrian beneficiary of temporary protection holding a Temporary Protection Identification Document (TPID) (with a foreigner’s ID number starting with 99), you can approach any pharmacy to obtain medication with a prescription.
If the medicine is covered under the Health Implementation Law/Budget Law (Sağlık Uygulama Tebliği), the total cost of the medication will be covered by the Turkish government and you will not be asked to pay any contribution fees.
However, not all medicines are free. This is the case for imported medicines, which are not covered by the Social Security Institution – neither for Turkish citizens nor other individuals.
Psychological assistance
You can approach primary health clinics or public hospitals which provide psychological and psychiatric support in the province of your residence. You can apply at state hospitals to get an appointment for psychiatric assistance. If the hospital does not have a psychiatry department or doctor available, you will be referred to another hospital or city accordingly. This support and treatment will be covered under your health insurance as a beneficiary of temporary protection.
You can also approach the Social Service Centres (SSC) under the coordination of the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Policies (PDoFSP) for psychological assistance. It is important to note, however, that not all PDoFSP have interpreters available at their centres.
UNHCR’s partner organizations may also have psychologists who provide psychological support in the province where you are residing. They may also provide you with interpreter assistance to help you in accessing governmental services. Please consult UNHCR and/or its partners to find out about whether they are present in your city of residence and to learn about the services they provide.
Interpreter assistance for hospitals
If you require an interpreter to help you communicate with hospital staff, you may be able to seek assistance from UNHCR’s partner organizations in the province where you are residing. Unfortunately, given the workload and daily services provided by partner organizations, interpreters may not be available on short notice or for every single appointment. Some hospitals may also have interpreters available.
To find out more about interpreter assistance for hospitals, you can also get in touch with the UNHCR Counselling Line by calling 444 48 68.