In the film series produced by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications titled "In Love with These Lands", international guests living in Türkiye whose turn for vaccination has arrived praised the Turkish healthcare system's robustness and competence in comparison to their own countries.
In the series titled "In Love with These Lands," Italian, German, British and Greek citizens who settled and have been living in Balıkesir, İzmir, Muğla and Antalya for a long time compared their healthcare systems to that of Türkiye and expressed admiration for the Turkish healthcare system.
Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun shared the video on his social media account with the caption, "We are grateful to all of our public officials, particularly our healthcare professionals, who have worked tirelessly in the fight against coronavirus in order to set an example for the rest of the world."
"We feel safer here than in Germany"
Marion Füller and Michael Wigant, both Germans living in Antalya, were two people whose evaluations were portrayed in the film series.
Wigant said that the Turkish society acted cautiously regarding measures against the pandemic, maintained a safe distance and wore masks everywhere, and noted the following:
"We hope that the situation improves soon. What the government does here during the lockdown is superior to what Germany does. The elderly and others who are unable to go shopping are cared for here, and medical assistance is better. Vaccination based on age is carried out better here than in Germany. We feel safer here than in Germany. This is one of the reasons we chose to stay here rather than travel to Germany for even 14 days. We are not planning a trip to Germany anytime soon."
Wigant stated the following as an illustration of the benefits of the Turkish healthcare system: "I wait for an x-ray for two months in Germany, but just 20 minutes here. I'm not sure why the system is so fantastic here and why the situation in Germany is so dire, but I believe the Turkish healthcare system is superior to Germany's."
Marion Füller also stated that they received their Covid-19 vaccination in Türkiye and have had no problems as a result of the vaccination.
Füller said, "The healthcare system here is superior to that of Germany. I was diagnosed with COPD in Germany, but my family physician in Türkiye discovered that two disorders, asthma and allergies, were at the root of the problem. We frequently hear that the quantity of intensive care beds available here is adequate. In contrast, Germany's healthcare system has collapsed."
Füller further stated that she felt quite well in Türkiye and had no desire to return to Germany, noting that she was happy here.
"Everything was executed flawlessly"
Yiannis Yiatilis, who travelled to Balıkesir from Greece, also indicated that the Covid-19 vaccination program in Türkiye was a huge success.
Yiatilis noted that when it was time for his age group to have their vaccine, he could conveniently schedule an appointment online and said, "On the day of my appointment, we went to the hospital, and everything was executed flawlessly. They had been expecting us. We didn't even have to wait for two minutes, and everything was spotless and neat. All was performed in a timely and successful manner. To be honest, I'm rather pleased."
Yiatilis said that he had visited Turkish hospitals a few times for certain reasons and had had nothing but positive experiences, adding, "I believe both the physicians and the staff have had excellent training. Although the state hospitals are packed, everything is so precise and sanitary. Furthermore, they inform everyone, which is rare by European standards. What a well-done job. To be honest, I enjoyed it a lot, and I believe that treating people with respect displays a high degree of civilization."
Pointing out that he felt safe in Türkiye, Yiatilis said, "As a Greek citizen, I feel at home in Türkiye. Everyone treats me in a friendly manner. I see a smile and a kind face when I tell them that I'm Greek, and I enjoy being here."
"The process worked out perfectly"
Carlo Brivio, who came to Izmir from Italy, said that he was considering whether to return to Italy to be vaccinated and talked about this with his friends, but that the vaccination situation in his country was uncertain.
Stating that his wife called the village doctor in Türkiye to ask about vaccination and the doctor invited them to get vaccinated, Brivio noted the following:
"What I was hearing was unbelievable. As soon as my wife arrived, she was registered and given the vaccine. I also scheduled a vaccine appointment for the following week. Three weeks later, we received our second dose. We didn't have any difficulties. Everything, including appointment times and locations, was confirmed using a phone application. The process worked out perfectly. After the vaccination, they called her first and then me. They asked if we were okay if we had any problems. Like I said, I couldn't believe it. When I told these experiences to my friends in Italy, I learned that they were still not vaccinated. I'm not just talking about Italy; I've lived in the USA and Belgium. So, I am also informed about the situations in these countries. I am still amazed at the change that has taken place in Türkiye in the last 15 years."
"We had an advantage over many countries"
British citizens Tudor Hughes and Barbara Hughes, who came to Muğla from the United Kingdom, also talked about their vaccination experience in Türkiye.
Tudor Hughes said that Türkiye was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places to live.
Stating that the Covid-19 vaccination process was very straightforward, and he was able to make an appointment with the application on the phone, Hughes said, "It's really quite easy to use. They give you the list of available dates, you choose one, and you get confirmation that you have made the appointment. And you get another confirmation on the day before saying 'Don't forget to come'."
Expressing that the vaccination was given at the hospital, Hughes said, "There were no massive queues there. Our turn came, and we were in and out within five minutes. We were asked to wait 15-20 minutes to make sure it would show no side-effects then we were free to go."
Praising the healthcare system in Türkiye, Hughes noted the following:
"I have nothing but praise for the Turkish healthcare system. It's different from that of the UK's. We don't have polyclinics in the UK. If you have anything wrong with you, the first thing you have to do is call a general practitioner. Then they decide what you need to do. Then you make an appointment to go to a specialist, for which you have to wait. Even if you only need to turn in a blood test, you still wait for the doctor. Everything takes time. Here you can go to your polyclinic, have all your tests done, and you get to walk out with the results at the end of the day. And that is a fantastic system for me."
Barbara Hughes said, "Not only us, but everyone else in our age group has received their vaccines. We had an advantage over a number of countries, quite honestly. My brother, who lives in Spain, is still waiting. My Aunt, who is 80 and lives in South Africa, is still waiting. So yes, it is much more efficient here."