Turkey reports over 50% of emergency room visits are non-urgent

At the 6th International Emergency Medicine Congress in Kemer, Antalya, Prof. Dr. Şahin Çolak, Chairman of the Turkish Emergency Medicine Foundation, stated that more than 50% of patients seeking emergency services in Turkey do not have urgent medical needs. These patients are typically directed to 'green zones' for treatment.

Çolak noted that while the global average wait time for patients in green zones to see a physician is approximately four hours, in Turkey, this duration remains under one hour even in the busiest hospitals. He attributed the high volume of visits to the ease of accessing healthcare services, noting that some clinics admit between 50 and 100 patients per hour during peak times.

Regarding medical technology, Çolak highlighted Turkey's potential for domestic medical product development. He mentioned that ASELSAN is developing various products for the health sector, including heart-lung perfusion devices and digital X-ray machines. He specifically noted the importance of domestically produced automated external defibrillators (OED) for cardiac arrest cases, which are expected to become more widely available in crowded areas following new regulations.