GIRNE HOSPITAL - OUT PATIENTS

[genghis]

I know you have to visit the check in desk, pay your 15 TL and present your passport to obtain your ticket/place in the queue but what time does it open?
I believe the number of people that can be seen by any one dctor is limited so I would not wish to be turned away having treked into Girne and would prefer not to have to hang around so I don't mind an early start.

[Jaybee]

I always get there about 7.45 and queue but you can get there earlier if you dont want to be disappionted.

[PapaBravo]

I think it opens around 0730. I have never been asked for my passport and sometimes they don't even ask for payment! It seems to be busiest on Monday and Friday. I go at around 10 o clock when the worst of the rush is over. Have never known the doctor to leave before all the patients have been seen, even when I have been last in the queue. The girl would not give us a ticket last week, for some reason, and this could have caused us problems but for the fact we were the last in the queue anyway. One further point to bear in mind, if the doctor is involved in an emergency, or unscheduled surgery that day, you will have to sit and wait. Good luck.

[sophie]

Things have obviously changed a lot. Last year we were made to go to the back of the queue and made to stay there from 8am until after 11 whilst people went in front of us. The reason? - because we couldn't show a Social Sigorta card. Twice Security asked people in the queue if we could be allowed to join the "official queue and take our turn" but the locals were adamant "NO CARD, NO QUEUE" we felt like 4th class citizens.

[genghis]

Experience at Out Patients

Arrived at 0715 Tuesday
Virtually no queue at check in/registration
You have to state which type of Doc you wish to see - that specialist may not be there that day
No 5 to see the doc - result!!
Passport was required
Had to pay 15TL at another window which didn't open til 0800 and get a receipt and a green piece of paper which the Doc wanted to see
About 6 in the check in queue by 0800

Doc arrived at 0830 by which time the corridor was full with people waiting to see the various Docs
2 men jumped the queue - I assume they were priviledged for some reason - govt employees??? Either way even the locals were getting upset

Back on Thurs to see a different Doc but this was relatively painless

[kaiserphil]

Yes, I jumped the queue there some years ago, or at least my taxi driver rushed me straight past the queue!

I had fallen in the High St and split my forehead open, so maybe it was somewhat justified.

They did the stitching there and then, and I had 2 further daily checks. They were very good, and never charged me a cent.

[genghis]

That sounds like the Accident an Emergency part of the hospital rather than outpatients - different rules apply, I believe.
Rather dramatic way to get to the front of the queue????

[genghis]

Today, Thursday, was my second visit and pretty much confirmed my experience on Tuesday.
Arrived about 0715 and again was given a No. 5 ticket to see the Doc - different specialist to last time.
Today was busier and there were 12 to 15 in the queue by 0730 and then lo and behold they opened a second check in/registration window!
Once again as a foeigner, I had to pay 15TL at another window that opened at 0800. Several others paying at this window - Mainland Turks I imagine.
Having seen the Doc, I was given a chit for 2 tests which would be carried out at the laboratory just down the passageway. It would appear this specialist is only in Girne once a week. So, I agreed to show him the results next Thursday rather than 'flog' all the way into Lefkosa.
You need another queue ticket to be seen by the laboratory. I made the mistake of queuing only to be asked "Where's your ticket?" when I got to the front!!
There's a ticket machine there just like in a bank.
My results would be ready at 1200. Could I collect them another day? No, 12 o'clock.
So I killed 2 hours in Girne with a brunch.
Back I went for my results which were available just after 1200.
Once you know the system and resign yourself to waiting it's no worse than anywhere else except you have to pay. Oh yes. My two tests, blood and urine, were 80TL. OK it's not free but it's not a huge amount.

[kaiserphil]

Yes genghis, you are very likely right, it was probably emergency.