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Approximately 20% of emergency calls received by the city’s 112 Emergency Call Center are unfounded or unnecessary, Istanbul’s European side ambulance service chief physician, Dr. Murat Lafcı, disclosed.
Addressing this operational challenge, Lafcı emphasized ongoing efforts to optimize response efficiency amid growing demand.
Speaking during Emergency Health Services Week, Lafcı outlined the scale of Istanbul’s emergency medical infrastructure, which currently operates 357 public ambulances supplemented by 500 private units, totaling 857 vehicles serving the metropolis. Approximately 5,000 personnel staff the 112 call centers and stations, ensuring uninterrupted emergency response capabilities.
To meet the city’s dynamic needs, several innovative measures have been deployed to accelerate incident response times. Plans are underway to inaugurate 25 new emergency health service stations by 2026, reinforcing coverage across Istanbul’s diverse urban and rural landscape. Specialized units include sea ambulances servicing the Princes’ Islands and helicopter ambulances tasked with reaching remote areas such as Çatalca, Şile and Beykoz.
Mobile rapid response teams on motorcycles and bicycles operate in high-density locations like Taksim, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş to navigate heavy traffic conditions efficiently. Despite Istanbul’s extensive geography and traffic challenges, Lafcı asserted that no area remains inaccessible, with response times averaging seven to eight minutes in urban centers and up to 30 minutes in rural districts.
However, traffic congestion and improper parking in narrow streets continue to hinder ambulance intervention times. Dr. Lafcı highlighted the Ministry of Health’s initiative to implement a “zipper system” to alleviate traffic delays and urged public cooperation and empathy towards emergency vehicles. He stressed the critical importance of yielding to ambulances, reminding citizens that emergency services could be attending to their own loved ones.
Lafcı further detailed the nature of calls received by the 112 Emergency Call Center, noting an average daily call volume between 6,000 and 8,000. Ambulances are dispatched for approximately 2,000 to 2,500 incidents daily. The remaining calls frequently involve non-emergency requests, such as mechanical breakdown assistance, locksmith needs or medical complaints like a toothache, which strain resources and divert attention from genuine emergencies.
The transition to a unified call system has marginally reduced the volume of non-essential calls, but public awareness remains vital to maintain operational efficiency. Lafcı’s insights underline both the challenges and proactive strategies shaping Istanbul’s emergency health services as they evolve to meet the city’s complex demands.
