This Patient Rights statement explains the rights of all patients and prospective patients who receive, or apply to receive, hair transplant, dental and aesthetic treatment services provided by Sercan Aslan Türkiye (the «Clinic») in Istanbul. The Clinic is committed to honouring every right set out in this statement for all of its patients, including international patients treated within the scope of health tourism.
1. Purpose, Scope and Legal Basis
The purpose of this statement is to set out, clearly and accessibly, the rights of everyone who receives healthcare services from the Clinic, how those rights can be exercised, and which bodies patients may turn to if they believe a right has been infringed.
This statement is based primarily on the Turkish Patient Rights Regulation (Hasta Hakları Yönetmeliği, Official Gazette no. 23420 of 1 August 1998), together with the Fundamental Law on Health Services (Law no. 3359), the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law no. 6698 («KVKK») and, for international visitors, the EU General Data Protection Regulation («GDPR»), as well as the Turkish legislation governing international health tourism.
The rights listed here apply to all patients, whether resident in Türkiye or abroad, without discrimination on grounds of race, language, religion, denomination, sex, nationality, political opinion, philosophical belief, or economic and social status.
2. Right to Fair and Equitable Access to Healthcare
Every patient has the right to benefit from healthcare services in accordance with the principles of justice and equity. The Clinic provides its services without discrimination of any kind, in line with medical necessity and recognised scientific standards.
Patients have the right to expect that the suitability of any proposed treatment is assessed on medical grounds and that all services are delivered by duly qualified healthcare professionals.
3. Right to Information
Every patient has the right to be informed, both verbally and in writing, about their state of health and any medical procedure proposed to them. Information is given in plain language, as free of technical terminology as possible, and in the language the patient prefers, through an interpreter where necessary.
As a minimum, patients are informed about:
- Their state of health and the established or probable diagnosis,
- The nature of the proposed procedure, its expected benefits and likelihood of success,
- The known risks and possible complications of the procedure,
- Available alternative diagnostic and treatment options, with their respective risks and benefits,
- The likely consequences of declining the proposed treatment,
- The estimated duration of the procedure, the recovery process, aftercare requirements and follow-up appointments,
- The cost of the service to be provided.
4. Right to Informed Consent
Except in emergencies provided for by law, no medical intervention may be carried out without the patient's freely given, informed consent (aydınlatılmış onam). For all surgical and invasive procedures, including hair transplantation, written consent is obtained before the procedure, in a language the patient understands.
Patients have the right to withdraw their consent at any stage of treatment, to refuse a proposed treatment, or to request that treatment already begun be discontinued. In such cases the physician explains the possible consequences of not proceeding, and the decision is documented.
The final decision on any treatment is made only after a clinical examination and assessment by the physician, together with the patient. Preliminary assessments and correspondence conducted through the website never constitute or replace informed consent.
5. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality of Health Data
Every patient has the right to have their privacy respected at every stage of examination, diagnosis, treatment and care. Information obtained in the course of providing healthcare remains confidential, even after the patient's death, and is not disclosed to anyone except where the law permits.
Health data constitute special categories of personal data under the KVKK and Article 9 of the GDPR, and are processed only with explicit consent or on another legal basis provided by law. Photographs of the scalp and hair submitted through the website are processed only with explicit consent; they are stored encrypted on systems under the Clinic's control, are viewable only by authorised clinic staff, and are never transferred to third-party customer-management systems.
Detailed information on the processing of personal data is available in the KVKK Privacy Notice and the Privacy Policy published on the website. Patients may exercise their data-protection rights (access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection and, where applicable, portability) by writing to hello@sercanaslanturkey.com; requests are answered within 30 days at the latest. Patients also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board (Kişisel Verileri Koruma Kurulu) and, for data subjects covered by the GDPR, with the supervisory authority in their own country.
6. Right to Respect, Safety and Human Dignity
Every patient has the right to receive healthcare in a manner that respects their personal values, delivered with courtesy, kindness and care, in a hygienic and safe environment.
Patients have the right to expect that their personal safety is protected throughout the care process and, so far as circumstances allow, to observe their religious practices. The Clinic operates in accordance with national patient-safety standards and infection-control rules.
7. Right to Know the Physician and to Seek a Second Opinion
Patients have the right to know the identity, role and professional title of the physician and of all other healthcare staff involved in their care.
Patients have the right to seek a second opinion from another physician on their diagnosis or proposed treatment. To facilitate this, the Clinic provides the patient, on request, with their existing medical records, test results and images. Requesting a second opinion will never be held against a patient in any way.
8. Right of Access to Medical Records and to Rectification
Patients have the right to review the medical records kept about them and to request a copy of those records. Where records contain incomplete, unclear or inaccurate information, patients may ask for them to be completed or corrected.
Medical records are retained for the periods prescribed by Turkish health and tax legislation. Requests for access to or correction of records may be sent to hello@sercanaslanturkey.com.
9. Support for International Patients
The Clinic enables patients arriving from abroad to communicate in their own language, or in a language of their choice, at every stage of the treatment process; interpreter support is provided where needed. Information and consent documents are explained in a language the patient understands.
Patients have the right, within the limits of the applicable legislation and the Clinic's operational conditions, to have a companion accompany them during the treatment process. International patients additionally receive information on pre-treatment preparation, post-treatment care and follow-up, and can obtain ongoing follow-up support through the Clinic's communication channels after returning to their home country.
10. Patient Responsibilities
So that healthcare can be provided safely and effectively, patients are expected to:
- Provide accurate and complete information about their medical history, current conditions, medications and allergies,
- Follow the treatment plan recommended by the physician, the pre- and post-treatment care instructions, and attend follow-up appointments,
- Respect the Clinic's rules, its healthcare staff and the rights of other patients,
- Inform the Clinic of any changes to their contact details.
11. Applications, Suggestions and Complaints
A patient who believes that any of their rights has been infringed may, in the first instance, apply to the Clinic. Applications may be sent to hello@sercanaslanturkey.com; every application is recorded, examined with care and answered as quickly as possible. Applications concerning personal data are concluded within 30 days at the latest.
Patients also have the right to apply to the following official bodies:
- The patient-rights units operating within the provincial health directorates of the Turkish Ministry of Health,
- The Ministry of Health Communication Centre, SABİM (hotline 184),
- The Presidency's Communication Centre (CİMER),
- For alleged personal-data violations, the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board (Kişisel Verileri Koruma Kurulu); for data subjects covered by the GDPR, the data protection supervisory authority in their own country.
12. Important Notice Regarding Website Content (Medical Disclaimer)
All content on sercanaslanturkey.com, including treatment descriptions, the output of the hair-analysis wizard and the responses of the chat assistant, is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Every treatment decision is made only after a clinical assessment by the physician. Treatment results vary from person to person; no outcome is guaranteed.
The chat assistant on the website is an artificial-intelligence application, and this is clearly disclosed at the start of every conversation. Patients may ask to speak with a human consultant at any time; chat conversations may be reviewed by the Clinic's consultants in order to respond to the patient's enquiry.
This statement may be revised to reflect changes in legislation or in the Clinic's practices; the current version is always published on the website.