Opinions On Lefkosa State Hospital

[JBA]

I have started this as a follow on to "Payment at State Hospitals" as that had started to go off topic and discuss treatment etc. I felt there is a much wider topic there.

Personally I like the hospital and its doctors and staff. As a poster on the other thread pointed out, the doctors are the same as in the private hospitals - they work for the state in the mornings and then go private to supplement their 'not very high' incomes.

The food is excellent now that Califorian group have taken over the catering; it is on time, well cooked and more to European tastes than previously and the dreaded 'yoghurt with every meal' is replaced with things like chocolate brownies, trifle and even vanilla blancmange on 1 occasion (there's a topic in itself - Foods I Miss).

The place itself I admit is rather primitive in parts with mainly shared wards which can be a problem at visiting time when you get to find out just how extended Cypriot families are. But the doctors understand our European habits and generally try to keep us in the smaller wards or even private ones if the particular unit supports them.

The hospital equipment is up to date and they seem well trained to use it. They have all the modern machines like ultrasound, MRI, CT etc. Even the smaller stuff like 'point and shoot' thermometers (whereas in Kolan I still have to put a mercury thermometer under my arm).

There is certainly a language barrier but you can usually find 1 member of staff to communicate with and often other patients or visitors are happy to help. On 1 occasion, when I was bed-bound with a drip in each arm, they brought another patient on crutches to come and interpret for me. But the doctors all speak good English and, although they are not available as general interpreters, if they are around they will happily help.

Above all, in these financially stretched times, it is ridiculously cheap. A recent 3 day/2 night stop including food cost me 247 tl - although there were no treatment costs as it was follow up to an operation already paid for.

Lefkosa State Hopital gets my 'thumbs up'.

[waddo]

JBA, what an excellent piece of reporting/information, thank you very much. I have not had occasion to use the Lefkosa State facilities but know many people who have and they all seem to share your opinions - apart from the food was different when they attended! My wife had been taken into A&E at the Girne State and she shares your opinion of doctor's/staff/accommodation as well - the food there in 2007 was not good, so I ate it for her - she would never be afraid to go to any of the state hospitals, knowing that the standard of care is good! We are both ex military so find that one man's "primitive" is another man's "Luxury" and I think the better term for the current "Primitive" parts would be "Adequate", which it most certainly is.

I think that more information on who can use the State Hospitals, what they can use them for, how to begin the process and what could/may be the possible costs of treatment for some of the normal things "Old Folks" suffer from (Heart attacks, cancer's, broken bones and deteriorating eyesight/hearing) would also make a good thread.

I freely admit to only having used the private hospitals - at great expense - and have come to the belief that I have done so to try to get over the language barrier only. The doctors I have seen there I could have seen at the State and the care would have been the same - why don't we use the State more is my question?

[elizabeth]

I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about the State hospitals before but my worries were unfounded. My husband collapsed with a heart attack at 7.15 on Sunday evening, I rang for an ambulance which arrived within 15minutes and he was taken to Girne hospital where he was given an ECG etc. We were then told he was to be transferred to Lefcosa by ambulance, we followed by car and when we got there he was being prepared to go to have stents fitted. By 11.30 he was in the intensive care ward and doing well.
He stayed in there for two days before being moved to another ward with just three beds, one of the other patients spoke English so that was a bonus, he was kept comfortable, given excellent care and monitored well. The doctor was one of the top Cardiologists and was very caring and professional.
All in all my husband was in there for five nights and the total cost was 4100TL, very reasonable in our opinion, we wouldn't hesitate to use the hospital again.

[wondering1]

I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about the State hospitals before but my worries were unfounded. My husband collapsed with a heart attack at 7.15 on Sunday evening, I rang for an ambulance which arrived within 15minutes and he was taken to Girne hospital where he was given an ECG etc. We were then told he was to be transferred to Lefcosa by ambulance, we followed by car and when we got there he was being prepared to go to have stents fitted. By 11.30 he was in the intensive care ward and doing well.
He stayed in there for two days before being moved to another ward with just three beds, one of the other patients spoke English so that was a bonus, he was kept comfortable, given excellent care and monitored well. The doctor was one of the top Cardiologists and was very caring and professional.
All in all my husband was in there for five nights and the total cost was 4100TL, very reasonable in our opinion, we wouldn't hesitate to use the hospital again.

Sorry to hear about your husband but very happy to hear he seems to be ok now and that the treatment was good, wish you both all the best.

My cardiologist here is very good, he works in a private hospital, he specializes in recovery from heart issues. I have a huge amount of experience with cardiologists of all levels unfortunately and I highly recommend him if you end up needing someone long term.

[Brend]

Very similar to Elizabeths husband my husband had an heart attack went to Girne hospital was given an ECG and transferred to Lefcosa for a stent.
All done within 90 minutes of him having heart attack. Same stay in hospital and a very similar price of £1020. That was 9 years ago.
Everything fine since and would not hesitate to use State Hospitals again.
Brend

[Agobard]

I believe that there are two different discussions here. One is the use of state hospitals for emergency cases and the other is their use (or any private hospital for that matter) in the case of a pre-planned operation. I have had in the past excellent treatment at Girne Hospital for a broken ankle and all for the princely sum of 10TL I seem to recall.

Pre-planned operations though are a different matter. I feel that, for a complex operation, the majority of the surgeons just do not have the day-to-day experience due to the relatively small population here. Our experience has also been that pain management and aftercare are a big problem here.

A close friend – who has had two cocked up operations here already – has had an operation recently to repair all of this damage at the Guven Hospital in Ankara. Now this hospital was worlds apart from anything available here. Highly experienced surgeons, excellent and plentiful nursing staff, brilliant aftercare and a supremely well-run hospital. They have also had no hospital infections since the hospital started in the early 70’s which is more than you can say for most of the hospitals here as we, unfortunately, know to our cost. The hospital quote an all inclusive price which covers air fares, taxis, hotels if needed and the services of a 24 hour a day translator on call. Certainly if either of us needed further surgery they would be our first choice, no hesitation.

[waddo]

Agobard, would you consider your "all inclusive" price more or less expensive than that which you would expect to pay here? Can you pay for your treatment with say Mastercard? I only ask as some of us will always be on what you may term a "restricted" income and like it or not cost would be a big issue. I am also well aware that it may seem like false economy to opt for a cheaper service but if that is all you can afford it is better than the alternative as there is no future in death I am told.

[come_on_aylin]

My op at Lefkosa state hospital was pre planned. I was diagnosed with goiters (thyroid lumps) 20 years after having half my thyroid removed in UK for same reason. After consulting a Turkish friend whose mother is a doctor and whose sister had the same procedure a year earlier, I selected the surgeon and was not disappointed. The state hospital is basic but I witnessed regular cleaning of every surface in the ward ( of 3) that I was in. It's very different to uk as relatives of the patients are allowed to stay and the Turkish women were certainly noisy but I was only in 2 nights and the second night I was completely out of it. The toilets were in a central position and were very clean though I was also given the option of using the nurse's one.
Interestingly, an English man was admitted following a botched op at a private hospital and couldn't wait to leave the state hospital as he was unhappy the facilities but it sounded like they'd saved his life.
I had previous experience of the hospital as my brother was hospitalised as an emergency. Visiting him and taking him for follow up treatment showed me that it's the same doctor's as in the private sector only a quarter of the price.
I realise that heart surgery is a different matter and have no experience of that.

[JoandJelly]

I broke my ankle 11 weeks ago. Costs were:

Visit to Girne A&E showing passport and pink book cost 30TL which included initial consultation, x-ray, consultation with orthopaedic doctor and half plaster cast. Subsequent visits to the poliklinik cost 15TL to see orthopaedic doctor x 3, 20TL for x-ray x 3 (although once this was free), 20TL for full plaster to be put on and then 20TL to be removed. I also paid 50TL for a plastic style cast from the pharmacy over the road as the state hospital only does plaster of paris casts.

[sophie]

This is slightly off topic but relevant. Im interested in the "called an ambulance" comments. The ambulance cannot find where we are. Early last year after 45mins we ended up calling a taxi for a neighbour. Sadly that mean he wasn't treated as an Emergency in Girne (although he certainly was) and had to wait for over an hour in tremendous pain before anyone in A and E would look at him.

[JBA]

Also off topic - but it's my topic. (Maybe someone can start one about experiences with the ambulance services - I have none personally.)

I live in an obscure spot in Karsiyaka. When a mugged drunk appeared on my doorstep some years ago the police asked me to send someone to meet them on the main road - so I sent 2 neighbours, the 2nd for the ambulance. The ambulance wouldn't venture down the track so the police took him to meet it.

[madeincyprus]

My mother was taken to Girne state hospital in December after having a heart attack. The doctor there was amazing, she brought my mum back and within 10 minutes had her in an ambulance to the state hospital in Lefkosa for ICU treatment. This is where our problems started, Lefkosa would not admit mum to ICU. They instead demanded mum was transfered to a private hospital. She was sent to the Kolan where for 10 days they pumped mum with more drugs then I can remember and did not much else. She was in and out of ICU on a ventilation machine, but no further tests were done. The doctor then decided that my mum was having nothing more then panic attacks and sent her home. 5 hours later my mum was dead. We asked for her notes, we were told no, we asked for a post mortem we were told no. My advice is if you get sick here go to the south to be treated or if u can afford it go to the near East hospital

[Agobard]

In response to Waddo's post: yes you can pay Guven by any kind of plastic. As for the price comparison, I cannot give any sensible answer on this as it was impossible to get the surgery done in Cyprus - either side of the divide. It was a very complex operation to resolve the primary problem which had never been properly dealt with in the previous operations carried out in Cyprus and to repair the damage done by Near East. We did not feel that the amount Guven charged was unreasonable at all and we had little choice in the matter as no action would have been terminal! The fact was that Guven gave a written price before we went and they stuck to it without any quibbles in spite of the fact that our time there was about 5 days longer than they had originally estimated.

[waddo]

Agobard, thank you for the information and glad that all is now well.

Madeincyprus, Condolences on the loss of your mum and sorry to hear about the lack of care at the Kolan, gives me cause for concern as that is the Hospital I use for my own heart condition! A question for you though - was your mum with you on holiday or did she live here with you? I only ask because there may have been a reason for not allowing her into the Lefkosa State for lack of a blue/pink book or any residency stamp? It is a sad fact of life here that when you sign the admissions form at any of the private hospitals, you sign away all your rights and can not take further actions against the hospital or the staff. I would be interested to know the doctors name if you wish to send me a PM please do so - if it is the same one I use then I will be off in search for a new doctor/hospital!

[JBA]

At Lefkosa A&E you must pay 30tl up front (the window on the left as you enter the foyer) and provide an id - I know kimlik card, passport or TRNC driving licence are all OK. You then get a chitty without which the guard will not let you through the secondary doors.

I don't know the consequences of not having acceptable ID because the people at the pay window don't speak English. (If possible, it is good advice to always take a translator with you on an initial visit to a state hospital.) A friend told me he stood at the pay window and refused to move until they went and found an English speaker for him. Knowing him I can well believe it, but not everyone has his size or demeanour.

30tl is all you will pay if treatment is completed under the auspices of A&E. My last visit I was put in bed, inspected by 2 doctors (general and specialist), sent upstairs to an ophthalmologist for an exam, had blood tests done and eventually given an injection and a course of drugs. Not bad for 30tl.

It's a pity that someone like BRS don't survey this sort of information and publish it (How To Access State Health Facilities) for all to understand. It could literally be a matter of life and death.

[tomsteel]

JBA, are you a member of the BRS? If not, why not join and add your views? If you are, I hope you've posed this question to it and await an answer you can post here? However and further, is it not the responsibility of the BHC to investigate at governmental level the eligibility, process and costs and to then publish this information for ALL UK subjects in the TRNC, rather than require a voluntary organisation to do so? Perhaps you should address your thoughts to the BHC!

[JBA]

No Tomsteel, I am not a member of the BRS nor do I wish to join.

I did my little bit doing the research on giving blood which I posted here and which has been adopted by other websites. As to the level of research required for this subject, I am afraid it is rather beyond me. If my chemotherapy is successful and I can get back to good health then maybe I will try - but I am sure there are better and more authoratitive people than me to do it.

The blood bank was a small organisation and the people were happy to have someone interested in their work, but to imagine that hospital directors or people from the Health Ministry would talk to an unaccredited individual is beyond my ability to believe. Further, 'they' would have better publishing options than Kibkom which, while the best forum in TRNC, is nonetheless a forum.

[tomsteel]

JBA, the BHC is the British High Commission (the UK Governmental body in Cyprus responsible for advising UK citizens), not a local health authority. I wish you every success with your treatment and thank you for your blood post.

[JBA]

I'm puzzled - I never mentioned the BHC!

[tomsteel]

But I did in msg 16 and your referred to health ministry, I did not. Whatever, the topic is finished.

[JBA]

Soory - I wasn't clear. I meant TRNC Health Ministry.

[tomsteel]

Hi JBA, hopefully, this will clear any further confusion My point, obviously badly presented, was the BRS - a voluntary organisation, was not best placed to officially advise as opposed to the British High Commission (BHC), which has access to ministers in the TRNC Government on an official basis and should advise UK nationals accordingly. Your valid point should be addressed there, in my opinion!