Izmir Metropolitan Municipality distributes healing with ‘Home Care’

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Eşrefpaşa Hospital Home Care Services Unit provides health services by regularly visiting 5,000 bedridden patients at their homes. Patients and their families, who express great happiness for the free service, thank Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Eşrefpaşa Hospital, which has the feature of being Turkey’s first municipal hospital, delivers health services to patients’ homes. Established in December 2021, the Home Care Services Unit reaches out to patients who are bedridden and cannot go to health institutions throughout the city. The unit, which operates with 50 staff including 8 doctors, ensures the implementation of treatment follow-up, conducting tests, renewing medication and equipment reports, wound care, medical care, and rehabilitation services at patients’ homes. Providing social and psychological support services to patients and their families, the Home Care Services Unit also arranges the transfer of patients needing polyclinic examination to the hospital. Having healed over 10,000 patients to date, the unit regularly visited approximately 5,000 patients at their homes just this year. The teams make contact with over 50 patients per day to provide necessary health services.
“We strive to reach all patients who apply” Home Care Services Unit Responsible Physician Dr. Nihat Mermer said, “We try to assist our bedridden patients with various health problems who cannot leave their homes in all their health needs. In addition to providing diapers, formula, medication, and reports, we help in updating prescriptions. We also insert catheters, perform wound dressings for patients, and provide physical therapy and psychological support services when needed. Needy relatives can call the 153 Citizen Communication Center and declare that the patients are bedridden and cannot reach health facilities. We provide services to around 5,000 patients this year. We visit over 50 patients per day. We try our best to reach all patients who apply.”
“Service arrived within 24 hours” Neslihan Aklı, who receives home care services for her 60-year-old stroke-stricken sister Birsen Keskin, said, “I reached out to the Home Care Services Unit upon a friend’s recommendation and received an immediate response. They arrived within a day. I felt helpless taking care of my sister. Although I tried to do dressings, I could not heal my sister’s wounds. I thank the teams very much for helping us. My sister had a stroke in 2016. She started to have muscle weakness partially and osteoarthritis in her legs. She could not walk, had wounds. Now the Home Care Services teams will do her dressings. I thank all the employees.”
“Izmir Metropolitan Municipality lending a hand” Gülendam Çorak, who applied by calling 153 for her 71-year-old husband Durmuş Ali Çorak, said, “My husband has advanced COPD. He is a heart patient and 84% disabled, a bedridden patient. It is very difficult to take my husband to the hospital since he cannot detach from the oxygen tube. We had difficulty going to the state hospital. It was costly to go to the private hospital with a private ambulance. The Home Care Services Unit changed my husband’s catheter. He received psychological support. As a relative, I also receive psychological support. It is very meaningful for the municipality to lend a hand where the state falls short. Therefore, I thank.”
“Satisfied with the service” Oğuz Mum, a 78-year-old who lives with his wife Ömrüye Mum, said he is one of the patients who have difficulty going to health institutions because he cannot walk. Mum, who also has diabetes and hypertension, said: “I am very satisfied with the service. The doctor conducted all my checks. Those like me should also contact Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. I recommend it.”
Service unit in districts Extending its service network to all districts of Izmir, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Eşrefpaşa Hospital Home Care Services Unit also provides services in Kemalpaşa, Bayraklı, Ödemiş, Tire, and Karaburun in addition to the city center.