Power Outage at Medicana Hospital in İstanbul Zincirlikuyu Halts Services

A power outage following heavy rain at Özel Medicana Hospital, located in İstanbul Zincirlikuyu, caused hospital services to largely come to a halt. Hundreds of patients who arrived at the hospital unaware of the situation were turned away at the door, causing them significant distress. Hospital officials apologized to the patients, stating that services could not be provided due to system malfunctions caused by the power outage. Citizens who arrived with appointments or sought emergency care were advised to schedule new appointments for future dates. However, the lack of prior notification to the patients led to growing outrage.

Among those most affected by the situation were patients battling serious health issues and awaiting long-term treatment processes. Gürkan Yılmaz, a patient's relative, stated that they came from Sarıyer to the hospital in Zincirlikuyu to begin treatment for his wife, who was diagnosed with cancer. Yılmaz mentioned that his wife had previously undergone endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures, had a mass removed from her intestine, and was officially diagnosed with cancer. Yılmaz, who said they had an appointment for 14.00 at the general surgery department, could not make sense of such a disruption occurring at a luxury hospital. Gürkan Yılmaz emphasized that finding the hospital they went to closed caused immense shock and disappointment.

This adverse situation deeply affected not only Gürkan Yılmaz and his family but also many other patients who came to the hospital for treatment. It was learned that some patients coming from different districts such as Sarıyer, unable to access treatment, were not allowed into the hospital and were kept waiting at the door. Not wanting to wait in the rain, patients tried to sit in the hospital cafe to learn about the situation, but this request was also met negatively by security forces. Patients also raised claims that certain parts of the hospital were flooded with water. Following these developments, the crowd gathered in front of the hospital voiced their loud protests against this unplanned and disorganized situation.

One of the biggest complaints from the affected patients was the absolute lack of prior notification regarding the cancellation of their appointments. Patients expressed the helplessness of discovering, only after arriving and being left at the door, that the systems were down and they could not receive treatment. This situation caused significant anxiety, especially for those in need of emergency treatment and individuals with chronic conditions requiring timely intervention. Patients having to go directly to the hospital to learn the situation firsthand exposed the extent of the communication breakdown. This lack of communication and organization led to private healthcare services being questioned in terms of infrastructure and crisis management.

Following the incident, an attempt was made to inform patients and the public via the call center of Medicana Hospital. However, patients and their relatives claimed they could not reach the call center, stating that information channels were completely closed. An official and detailed statement regarding the matter has not yet been made by the hospital management. The hospital's power infrastructure being so vulnerable to a meteorological condition like rain has led to questions regarding its technological infrastructure. Authorities are expected to take action to resolve the grievances of the patients and ensure their treatment processes continue as planned as soon as possible.