Asian Side Patient Transfer Service

The large city hospitals, university hospitals and Sabiha Gökçen Airport are far apart from one another; if the patient is going to the other side of the city, the bridge crossing also has to be factored in. Whether your loved one is bedridden, in intensive care or being discharged, we put the team together based on these conditions.

Districts we serve

On the Asian Side, we provide patient transfers in the districts of Adalar, Ataşehir, Beykoz, Çekmeköy, Kadıköy, Kartal, Maltepe, Pendik, Sancaktepe, Sultanbeyli, Şile, Tuzla, Ümraniye and Üsküdar. In each of these districts, transfers are handled with team and route planning.

Patient transfer services on the Asian Side

• Home-to-hospital transfer: A stretcher-equipped vehicle is arranged for trips to a hospital on the Asian Side or on the other side of the city. The team picks the patient up at the door and takes them to the relevant hospital unit; the return trip after the examination can also be planned for the same day.
• Hospital discharge: At the large hospital campuses on the Asian Side, leaving the ward, vehicle access and waiting areas require extra coordination. Our team goes up to the ward, transfers the patient onto the stretcher and stays with them until they are settled in bed at home.
• Inter-facility referral: When a patient needs to be moved from a hospital on the Asian Side to another center requiring specialized care, such as cardiovascular surgery or oncology, the transfer is carried out with equipment suited to the patient's clinical condition after the receiving physician gives approval.
• Round trips to regular sessions: A weekly schedule is set up for recurring treatments such as dialysis, chemotherapy and physical therapy. For regular transfers from coastal districts such as Pendik, Tuzla or Kartal to treatment centers, timing is arranged around the session time.
• Moving bedridden patients: Patients who are paralyzed, of advanced age or unable to move after surgery are carried with the narrow, elevator-less staircases common in the older apartment buildings of Kadıköy and Üsküdar in mind. Additional staff and a stair chair are planned when needed; there is no extra charge for this.
• Ventilator ICU transfer: For transfers of patients on a ventilator or requiring continuous monitoring, whether between Asian Side hospitals or between the two sides of the city, an ICU-equipped ambulance and, as needed, a team with a doctor is assigned. The transfer decision is made together with the patient's physician.
• Sabiha Gökçen Airport transfer: For patients arriving at or flying out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, an ambulance transfer is arranged between the airport and a hospital or home. Flight details, the airline's medical document requirements and the handover point at the terminal are discussed in advance.
• Intercity transfer from the Asian Side: We provide road transfers of patients from the Asian Side to cities such as İzmir, Bursa and Antalya, or from these cities to Istanbul; these are among the cities we transfer to most frequently. The oxygen, medication and rest-stop plan is prepared before setting off, based on the length of the journey.

Planning transfers across the bridges (between the two sides)

Cross-city patient transfers are transfers that cross the Bosphorus between the Asian Side and the European Side, and they are among the transfer types that require the most planning in Istanbul. The main routes are the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15 Martyrs Bridge), the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Köprüsü; traffic on each varies by time of day and day of the week. Although an ambulance can technically pass through the Avrasya Tüneli (Eurasia Tunnel), at Net Ambulans we prefer to use the bridges for patient transfers. Our Acıbadem (Üsküdar) base on the Asian Side also makes it easier for the team to reach patients for transfers on this side.

For a planned cross-city transfer, these are the points we pay attention to:

• Congestion on the bridge approach roads during morning and evening rush hours
• How long the patient can tolerate the journey
• Whether the oxygen capacity will be sufficient if the trip takes longer than expected
• The receiving hospital's patient admission time

For non-emergency transfers, choosing a time outside rush hours, where possible, reduces the time the patient spends on the road. For appointments where the exact arrival time matters, the team sets off earlier to allow for traffic.

Patient transfer from Şile and Adalar

Şile is a district in the north of the Asian Side, far from the major hospital centers. Because transfers from here involve a long journey, all of the patient's needs are considered from the outset: the medications to bring along, feeding times, the capacity of the oxygen cylinder and, if necessary, an interim check along the way. The increased traffic toward the coast during the summer months is also factored into the timing.

Adalar (the Princes' Islands), on the other hand, requires a different kind of planning. Because the use of motor vehicles on the islands is limited, it may not always be possible for the ambulance to go directly to the patient's door. Transfers from Adalar can be planned via car ferries on request; such transfers are assessed case by case. Families submitting their request as early as possible helps ensure the necessary arrangements are made in time.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport ambulance transfer

For patients traveling through Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the ambulance transfer should be considered together with the flight plan. Services such as stretcher travel or wheelchair assistance must be approved in advance by the airline, and a physician's report may be requested during this process. The ambulance team operates according to the handover point and time set by the airline.

• Share the flight details and the approval received from the airline.
• Prepare the documents showing that the patient is fit to fly.
• Confirm the destination address, whether a home or a hospital.
• Let us know in advance if any medical devices will be transported with the patient.

How does a transfer work on the Asian Side?

• Request by phone: Transfer requests are taken at 0212 912 51 84. During the call, we ask about the patient's district, full address, medical condition, the devices they use and the hospital they are going to. If it is a cross-city transfer, the time information that will affect the choice of bridge is also noted.
• Vehicle and team plan: The equipment to be prepared in our ICU-equipped ambulance is determined according to the patient's needs. If a ventilator or medication infusion is involved, or if requested, a team with a doctor is planned, and the team's arrival plan at the address is shared with you.
• Collecting the patient: When the team arrives at the address, they check the patient's general condition and, if present, transfer the oxygen and other devices to the vehicle appropriately. The patient is taken out of the building on a stretcher or carry chair and placed in the ambulance.
• Monitoring along the way: The patient's vital signs are monitored throughout the transfer. On journeys extended by bridge traffic, the patient's position, oxygen level and comfort are checked at regular intervals; the medical team intervenes if necessary.
• Arrival and handover: At the hospital, the patient is taken to the relevant ward or the emergency department; at home, to their bed. Observations from the journey are passed on to the receiving medical staff or the family, and the transfer is concluded.

The cost of patient transfer on the Asian Side is calculated according to the specific conditions of each transfer; for this reason, we do not publish a fixed price list. The main factors that determine the price are listed below. For information tailored to you, call 0212 912 51 84.

Patient transfer cost on the Asian Side

On the Asian Side, we calculate the transfer cost according to the specific conditions of each transfer; that is why we do not publish a fixed price list. On this side of the city, the two things that affect the price most are distance and crossing to the other side.

Physician-accompanied ICU transfers and planned transfers accompanied by a paramedic or emergency medical technician are also priced differently. We do not charge extra for carrying patients in buildings without elevators.

For all pricing factors and information tailored to you, call 0212 912 51 84.