Azernews.Az

The Turk-American Medical Center, which began operations in 1998, is one of the first privately-owned medical institutions in Azerbaijan. Although the number of private clinics in the country currently exceeds 400, this center has surpassed a number of local private and state-run medical facilities for its high-quality services, advanced level and qualifications of personnel.
The Center was established due to the concerted effort - both financial and in offering moral support by Turkish and Azerbaijani specialists who gained experience abroad. The facility, which uses cutting edge technology and up-to-date methods, has turned into one of Azerbaijan's leading diagnostics centers. We have obtained comprehensive information about the Center from its chief doctor Ramiz Aliyev.
Q. Mr. Aliyev, we would like to know why the Center was named "the Turk-American Medical Center."
A. In 1992 I paid a long-term business trip to the best clinics and hospitals in Ankara, Turkey, on instructions of the Health Ministry. Having worked for Turkey`s first private clinic, called Sevgi (Love), I was inspired to open such a clinic in Azerbaijan, as well. A number of my Turkish colleagues and specialists dealing with US medical technologies came together and we decided to set up such a private medical institution in Baku. Having obtained the required license in May 1998, we got to work. At that time, the servicing and maintenance of the medical equipment purchased from Turkey and America was being carried out by specialists who came from those two countries. Afterwards, most of our specialists dealing with medical technologies and new devices underwent refresher courses in Turkey and the United States. And, since the center`s investors are Turkish and US citizens, we named the institution the "Turk-American Medical Center."
Q. As one of the leading private medical institutions in Baku, how does the Turk-American Medical Center differ from other diagnostics centers?
A. First of all, as one of the first private medical institutions we have served as a kind of a role model for the development of the private medical sector, which emerged afterwards. We introduced the first private computer tomography, the culture of private medical services and a slew of new medical technologies in Azerbaijan. Naturally, leading the way was just as challenging for us as it was glorious. Although, as one of the newly established private medical institutions, we had a number of challenges to surmount in the early years of our practice, we managed to deliver new technologies, upgrade our medical devices and move forward in other areas. Today, our center provides practically all types of diagnostics, including ultra-sound, ophthalmology and X-ray departments, determining the speed of blood circulation in cerebral vessels, laboratory and ambulatory treatment. A number of embassies, foreign companies and insurance agencies use our services.
Q. The Turk-American Medical Center is involved in various charity activities conducted in Azerbaijan. Does it provide any advantages in medical services rendered to orphans, the elderly, disabled people and refugees?
A. During the years I spent working in America, I witnessed indeed that a lot of charity events are undertaken in the medical sector there. So, we are now considering expanding our charity activities in different ways. Assistance to the disabled and seniors, and the provision of free services to orphans, youths under 20 years of age and children`s institutions, and conducting other charity functions of this kind is one of the issues we have kept in mind.
Q. As far as we know, foreign-educated personnel make up most of your staff. Do you offer any opportunities for medical workers who received education in Azerbaijan to expand their experience abroad?
A. Most of the nearly 50 employees at the Turk-American Medical Center, particularly our doctors, have received long-term education and undergone refresher courses in America, Britain, Germany and other countries. The specialists we send to foreign countries become acquainted with the types of new technologies, improve their skills and learn to work with new equipment. In this connection, a seminar entitled "Improving the quality of medical service" was held with my participation in August in the US state of Massachusetts, with the support of the US Department of State. What we learned there has made an invaluable contribution to the way we operate today, particularly in terms of our continuing improvement and compliance with international standards. As a result of the comparison drawn, it was revealed that there is not much difference between our center`s indicators and those in the U.S. and we were delighted about that. Nonetheless, we will definitely introduce, at our diagnostics center, a number of systems and tools used in management and in further improvement of the quality of medical services, as well as new methods.
Q. What new ideas and methods does the Turk-American Medical Center plan on introducing in this coming year?
A. One of the key goals we have outlined is to further expand our laboratory and to increase the variety and quality of medical tests. Moreover, in response to President Ilham Aliyev`s call regarding the development of the country`s regions, we plan to open regional affiliates of the center, provide assistance to medical specialists working there and undertake a number of other activities. Such issues will be among topics of discussion during the meeting at our Turkey-based management board, which will be held in the first days of 2009.
Reaching out to everyone who walks in the door, giving them a warm welcome, conducting high-level medical examinations, delivering the required results in a timely, prompt and accurate manner, and sharing people`s pains and tribulations to the greatest extent possible is the slogan of the Turk-American Medical Center. Despite the opening of tens of new clinics at a time of rapid development of medicine and technologies, our center, which operates on the basis of the legal regulations enforced by the Health Ministry, remains committed to its objectives in the private healthcare sector to this day.