Rwandans seeking treatment from abroad now have a better option after Turkish Airlines introduced a new and affordable medical tourism package to Turkey last month.
The global leading airline struck key partnerships with 33 hospitals in Turkey, that will see patients from Rwanda not only receive world class medical care for all kinds of ailments and complications but also receive after-treatment precautionary care.
Ömer Faruk Korkmaz, the Turkish Airlines Rwanda Country Manager told the Hope Magazine last month that the Instabul based hospitals have a lot to offer Rwandan patients and that they were partnering with doctors and travel agencies in Rwanda as well to easily refer medical cases to Turkey.
What is more to it is that Turkish Airlines is now refunding every medical tourism patient upto 50% of their ticket once they come back from Turkey.
Mr. Korkmaz explained the different advantages Turkey bore as a medical tourism destination compared to other countries such as India where many Rwandans have accustomed themselves to going whenever they need medical attention abroad.
“The hospital premises and services are very clean and the quality of the equipment they use are top quality,” he noted.
He also noted that the hospital prices in Turkey are very competitive when compared to the rest of the world.
“We agreed with the hospitals to provide competitive prices in order for them to receive more Rwandan patients,” he said.
Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Kigali to Instabul, which Mr. Korkmaz said was another advantage of going to Turkey.
He added that in the coming few months, Visas to Turkey will be issued from Kigali as the Turkish Embassy will fully functioning, saving people time.
Also to note is the serene environment outside the hospitals in Turkey. Turkey is a touristic place especially when one visits Instabul where they can find a lot about history and many other different aspects.
About Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered at the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Istanbul.
As of February 2015, it operates scheduled services to 280 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the fourth-largest carrier in the world by number of destinations. Turkish Airlines is also the operator that flies to most countries. With Istanbul Atatürk Airport being the main base, the Turkish carrier has secondary hubs at Esenboğa International Airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and Adnan Menderes Airport. Turkish Airlines has been a member of the Star Alliance network since 1 April 2008.
With an operational fleet of ten cargo aircraft, the airline’s cargo division serves 52 destinations.
It made its maiden flight to Kigali in May 2012 and has not looked back ever since, changing the airline industry in Rwanda for the better.
