Health Ministry Emergency Health Services Director General associate professor Dr. Eray Çınar said more than 7 million patients and injured people were transported to hospitals by ground ambulances last year.
Çınar said on Friday that emergency health services operate uninterrupted 24/7 across Türkiye, regardless of geography or weather conditions.
He noted that with the addition of 856 new ambulances last year, the total number of ground ambulances reached 6,308, while the number of ambulance stations exceeded 3,600.
Çınar said cases related to carbon monoxide poisoning from stoves and respiratory illnesses increase during the winter months due to seasonal conditions.
“Last year, more than 7 million patients and injured people were transported to hospitals by ground ambulances. On average, we handle cases at this level each year. With population growth and the expansion of our fleet, this number has continued to rise over time,” he said.
To ensure access to patients under all geographic and climate conditions, Çınar said the fleet also includes 226 tracked ambulances, 20 snow-track vehicles, 62 multistretcher ambulances, 93 intensive care and obesity ambulances, and 54 motorcycle ambulances.
Pointing to harsh winter conditions in eastern and southeastern Türkiye, Çınar said tracked ambulances are actively deployed to shorten response times when roads are closed. He stressed that diversifying the fleet is essential to maintaining service continuity.
Çınar recalled that sea ambulances entered service in 2007, noting that seven sea ambulances are currently operating in Istanbul, Çanakkale, Muğla and Balıkesir. Since their launch, they have carried out more than 40,000 patient transfers.
He said air ambulances are used for both domestic and international missions, adding that aircraft ambulances began operating in 2010 and carried out more than 1,000 patient transfers in 2025.
Helicopter ambulances are stationed in 15 provinces, Çınar said, adding that domestically produced GÖKBEY helicopters will be added to the fleet this year.
“In 2025, nearly 4,000 patients were transported by helicopter ambulances. GÖKBEY helicopters will be able to operate over longer distances, carry two patients simultaneously and make a significant contribution to long-range transfers. Work is also ongoing to enhance night-vision capabilities,” he said.
Çınar also said all ambulances have been equipped with camera systems under the Electronic Case System Project, and teams are supported with mobile devices.
He said the system allows ambulance crews to use live traffic data to reach incident sites and hospitals in the shortest possible time, while all procedures carried out inside ambulances are entered into the system in real time and monitored by command and control centers.
The camera systems enhance the safety of patients, relatives and personnel, Çınar said, adding that the digitalization process has been completed in all 81 provinces. He also said pilot testing of a smart wristband application, a component of the Electronic Case System, has been completed, enabling digital identification and tracking of all patients and injured individuals.
