Turkish mobile app locates doctors by language spoken

Thanks to a newly developed mobile app, tourists traveling to Turkey will soon have the opportunity to locate nearby health professionals who speak their language.

“Let's say you are a Swedish tourist visiting Turkey and your child fell down and broke his leg. All you need to do is open this app and search for a nearby orthopedist who speaks Swedish," said Ömer Tontuş, General Director of Health Development at the Turkish Ministry of Health.

The application initially searches for a doctor within 30 km of your location. If none is available, the search range is extended to 50 km, Tontuş told The Anadolu Agency, adding that it was also possible to opt for an even wider search.

And what happens if the search yields no health professional that speaks your language of choice?

"Then you are referred to the nearest physician who speaks English," Tontuş said, adding that the app also provides directions once you click on the address displayed on the screen.

The mobile app, which will be available in seven languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish and Arabic, will be used on smartphones and tablets.

The Turkish Health Ministry has planned the launch for mid-December 2014.