“We’ve hit rock bottom”: Yenikent’s muhtar criticizes the doctor appointment system in Northern Cyprus

The muhtar of Yenikent, Melek Arabacıoğlu, sharply criticized the state electronic health system (e-Sağlık) and the “1101” call center. Her public statement was prompted by the serious difficulties she encountered while trying to book her sick mother for a routine examination at a state hospital. According to Arabacıoğlu, the current system effectively deprives elderly people of access to medical care.
In her social media account, the muhtar said that for two days she had been unsuccessfully trying to arrange tests for her mother, who suffers from cancer and needs to undergo them every three months. Arabacıoğlu noted that she is very comfortable with modern technology, but even for her the procedure turned into a complicated process of endless waiting for SMS passwords and confirmation codes, which in the end still concluded with the notification that “no appointments are available.” An attempt to resolve the issue through the “1101” hotline also failed: after 25 minutes of waiting on the line, the automated system moved her in the queue from 44th to 37th place, after which she hung up.
In her post, Melek Arabacıoğlu directly addressed Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek, attaching screenshots of the empty electronic database and calls. She said that the system is inconvenient for elderly people and people with disabilities, forcing them to depend on outside help, and called on the minister to acknowledge the existence of a deep crisis in public healthcare.