Ankara hospitals return to short examination times after NATO summit ends
Temporary regulations increasing examination times at hospitals in Ankara has ended, daily BirGün reported.
Examination times, normally 5 to 10 minutes, were increased to 20 minutes in the capital city in late June, resulting in a decrease in the total number of examinations.
Doctors' groups claimed the move was an attempt to ease hospital crowds during the NATO summit on Jul 7-8, for which many cosmetic arrangements were made in the city, including renewing asphalt on the roads and painting building facades along the routes of foreign delegations.
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While no official statement has been released regarding the changes, the Ankara Medical Chamber previously announced that daily appointments per doctor fell from 43 to 21 between Jul 6 and Jul 8, resulting in increased examination times.
The chamber had criticized the decision, noting that doctors had long demanded increased examination times and that the temporary regulations proved such changes were possible. They argue that these brief consultations disrupt treatments and force patients to repeatedly return to clinics.
However, patients in Turkey routinely struggle to find hospital appointments despite short average examination times. (VK)
