Foreign residents of Alanya, a district in the Mediterranean province of Antalya and one of the most popular destinations for expats, have lauded Turkish health care workers for helping them beat COVID-19.

Expatriates make up about 10% of the population in Alanya, which is a year-round popular vacation resort for tourists. Alanya Training and Research Hospital serves as the main health location for the treatment of expats infected with the coronavirus.

Fifty-seven-year-old Marina Polikarpova, a Russian national who is among the expats calling Alanya home, praises the health care workers who attended to her when she was infected. Polikarpova discovered she was infected after a bout of pains, coughs and breathing difficulties led to a positive test for the virus. She recovered after a month in hospital. “I was very scared when I was first diagnosed but my worries were gone thanks to health care workers,” she says, thanking them for instilling her with hope and boosting her morale. “I will never forget them. They immensely helped me recover,” she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday.

Vitaly Von Riessen, a 48-year-old Dutch national who has been living in Alanya for the past two years, is another expat who recovered from COVID-19 in the district. Von Riessen sought help when he started exhibiting symptoms of severe headache, fever and fatigue. After a test at the hospital, he started being treated for the virus.

“I think Turkey is very good at handling the coronavirus pandemic. This is what I witnessed when I was hospitalized. All doctors, nurses, other staff were very caring. I am grateful to all of them, both for the care and their warm approach to (patients),” he said. “Turkey overall acts fast in taking measures against the pandemic and I believe that those measures will pay off soon and we will be back to the old days,” he said.

Professor Hüseyin Lakadamyalı, the chief physician of the hospital, says they hosted some 140 foreign patients so far this year for coronavirus infections and all have recovered.