Are Hospitals Open on October 28? October 28-29 Working Hours

As public holidays approach in Türkiye, a common question on many people's minds is whether hospitals are open on October 28. Because the afternoon of October 28 and the entirety of October 29 are officially recognized as public holidays, outpatient clinics (polyclinics) in public hospitals and family health centers pause their routine services during this time. However, to ensure there is no interruption in healthcare, the emergency departments of both public and private hospitals remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you experience a sudden health issue during the holiday, you can always seek the necessary medical support by visiting an emergency room.

In Short:

• A half-day public holiday begins at 13:00 on October 28 across all healthcare institutions.
• Routine outpatient clinic services are not provided during the October 29 Republic Day holiday.
• The emergency departments of all hospitals remain open 24/7 without interruption throughout the holiday.
• Family health centers (sağlık ocakları) are closed on the afternoon of October 28 and all day on October 29.
• Some outpatient clinics in private hospitals may offer limited services based on their own on-call duty systems.

How Do Healthcare Facilities Operate During Public Holidays?

According to legal regulations in Türkiye, the October 29 Republic Day celebrations officially begin at 13:00 on October 28 and continue until the end of October 29. This one-and-a-half-day period holds public holiday status. Since government offices are closed during public holidays, the routine operations of hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health are reorganized accordingly. You cannot book normal outpatient appointments through the Central Physician Appointment System (MHRS) for these dates.

To prevent patients from experiencing difficulties, the healthcare system shifts to an "on-call" (nöbet usulü) working arrangement. Under this system, inpatient wards, intensive care units, delivery rooms, and emergency departments continue to operate at full capacity. The medical care, medication administration, and doctor rounds for hospitalized patients are carried out seamlessly by on-call physicians and nurses. Meanwhile, routine outpatient examinations, planned (elective) surgeries, and non-urgent imaging procedures are postponed until after the holiday, resuming on the morning of October 30.

October 28 Half-Day Shift and Rules

When planning for the holiday or needing healthcare services, one of the most frequently asked questions is how the system works on the morning of October 28. Between 08:00 and 13:00 on October 28, hospitals operate under their normal working hours. If you have a previously scheduled appointment during these hours, you can be examined, and you can provide any blood or urine samples requested by your doctor.

The same applies to family health centers (sağlık ocakları). These centers are open in the morning; you can complete tasks like baby vaccinations, routine pregnancy follow-ups, or getting prescriptions written until noon. However, as the public holiday officially begins at 13:00, all these institutions end their shifts. It is not possible to show test results or visit an outpatient clinic for a new complaint in the afternoon. For any health problems that arise after this hour, you will need to head directly to the emergency department.

Which Departments Are Open on October 29 Republic Day?

Since October 29 is a full-day public holiday, no routine outpatient clinics will be open in state hospitals or family health centers. Although the clinics are closed, the vital functions of the hospitals continue. Dialysis centers, relevant units for oncology patients with scheduled chemotherapy sessions, and inpatient wards provide service with on-call teams.

In private hospitals, the situation may vary depending on the institution's own working principles. Many private hospitals may have an on-call specialist physician available, particularly in high-demand branches like pediatrics or internal medicine. However, because this is not a standard practice across the board, the safest approach is to call the private hospital you plan to visit in advance to confirm which departments are open that day. Emergency department services, on the other hand, continue completely and without exception in all hospitals.

Emergency Room vs. Outpatient Clinic: Where Should You Go?

Directing yourself to the right unit when visiting a hospital ensures you receive faster treatment and prevents overcrowding in the healthcare system. Outpatient clinics (polyclinics) are designed for conditions that do not require urgent intervention, such as long-standing joint pain, routine blood sugar checks, hair loss, or mild allergies. Waiting until the end of the holiday for these types of complaints does not pose a medical risk.

Emergency departments are for acute conditions that arise suddenly, carry a potential threat to life, or cause severe pain. Because outpatient clinics are closed during holidays, emergency rooms may experience a heavier patient flow than on normal days. To manage this volume, an prioritization system called "triage" is applied in emergency departments. Knowing the answer to when you should visit the emergency room makes it easier to understand the logic behind the red (highly urgent), yellow (urgent), and green (mildly severe) zone applications. Patients with life-threatening conditions are always treated first.

Prescriptions and Chronic Medication Reports During Holidays

People with chronic illnesses (such as hypertension, diabetes, or asthma) have medications they must use regularly. Since family health centers and outpatient clinics will be closed during public holidays, it is highly important to check your medication stock beforehand. If you are running low on your medication, you can visit your family physician on the morning of October 28 or in the preceding days to have your prescription arranged.

Visiting emergency departments during holidays solely to get a routine prescription is generally not considered appropriate. Emergency room doctors can administer single-dose or short-term medications to resolve a patient's acute crisis at that moment (for example, lowering blood pressure if it has spiked dangerously), but they do not write monthly routine medication prescriptions. If your chronic medication report (rapor) is still valid, you may have the right to obtain certain medications directly from pharmacies under the rules of the Social Security Institution (SGK); you can consult your duty pharmacist (nöbetçi eczane) about this situation.

What to Do at Home and at the Hospital in Emergencies

In the event of a sudden illness during the holidays, you should first stay calm and evaluate the severity of your symptoms. For conditions like a mild headache, runny nose, or low-grade fever, resting at home, drinking plenty of fluids, and using simple over-the-counter pain relievers or fever reducers are usually sufficient. Such mild complaints can be examined in detail at an outpatient clinic after the holiday.

However, if the symptoms are severe, you must go to the hospital without wasting time. When you arrive at the hospital, the triage nurse will measure your basic vital signs, such as temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels. Depending on the nature of your complaint, you will be directed to the green, yellow, or red zone. Following the doctor's examination in the ER, rapid blood tests, X-rays, ultrasounds, or CT scans may be performed if deemed necessary. Based on the results, the patient may be given an IV drip, receive an injection, or be taken to an observation room for a few hours of monitoring.

When Should You Call 112 or Go to the ER?

Some symptoms are signs of a serious problem in the body and absolutely should not wait until after the holiday. If you notice any of the following conditions in yourself or a loved one, you should immediately visit the nearest emergency room or call the 112 Emergency Call Center:

• A feeling of pressure in the middle of the chest, severe pain radiating to the left arm or jaw.
• Sudden onset of speech impairment, facial drooping, or loss of strength in the arms or legs.
• Severe difficulty breathing, a feeling of suffocation, or bluish lips.
• Major traumas such as a traffic accident, falling from a height, or a severe blow.
• High fever in babies and children that does not drop despite fever-reducing medication and carries a risk of seizures.
• Severe, agonizing, and sudden abdominal pain, accompanied by uncontrollable vomiting.
• Confusion, fainting, or inability to wake up.
• Heavy bleeding that cannot be stopped and continues despite applying pressure.

The October 28-29 Process at BHT CLINIC

At BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hospital, we know that your health does not take a holiday. During public holidays, just like any other day, we continue to provide uninterrupted, fast, and reliable healthcare services. Our Emergency Department operates 24/7 under the supervision of experienced Emergency Medicine Specialists, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialists, and Pediatric Specialists.

Having a pediatrician available 24 hours a day is especially comforting and largely eliminates the anxiety parents experience during holidays. Thanks to our advanced imaging devices (MRI, CT, Ultrasound) and our 24-hour laboratory, we can quickly diagnose and initiate the treatment process in emergency situations. For your routine check-ups, comprehensive examinations, or check-up planning after the holiday period, you can easily schedule via our appointment page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hospitals open on October 28?

On October 28, hospitals and family health centers continue their normal shifts from 08:00 in the morning until 13:00. As the public holiday officially begins at 13:00, outpatient clinics close, and only emergency departments continue to provide service.

Are family health centers open on October 29?

No, because October 29 Republic Day is a full-day public holiday, family health centers (sağlık ocakları) are closed. You will need to wait until after the holiday for routine vaccinations, examinations, or prescription refills.

Is the emergency room free during public holidays?

Services provided in the emergency departments of state hospitals are free of charge. In private hospitals, by law, no fee is charged for life-threatening emergency cases evaluated as the "red zone"; however, for non-urgent visits falling under the green zone, pricing may be applied according to the hospital's policy.

Can I get a blood test on the afternoon of October 28?

Since routine outpatient services stop after 13:00 on October 28, you cannot get a blood test for normal check-up purposes. However, if you visit the emergency room and the physician evaluates your condition as urgent, they may request the necessary blood tests for diagnostic purposes.

Where do you go for a dental emergency on holidays?

Normal dental clinics are closed on public holidays. In cases of severe toothache, bleeding, or trauma, you can visit on-call dental hospitals or the emergency departments of fully equipped hospitals to receive pain relief and first aid support.

This article is for informational purposes only; please be sure to consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment.