Patient Experience
My 4-year-old son, Leo, fell from a tree in our garden in Turgutreis and hit his head. We rushed to Bodrum Medical Center in a panic. Dr. Habibe Aslan was like a calm anchor in the storm. She didn't just examine him; she knelt down to his level, spoke to him about his favorite dinosaurs, and gained his trust before the neurological assessment. Her ability to manage a terrified child while simultaneously reassuring us, the parents, was incredible. She ordered a precise CT scan, ruled out serious injury, and explained everything with drawings. We left not just with a healthy boy, but with a lesson in compassionate emergency care.
I am a 78-year-old retired fisherman with a history of heart issues. What I thought was severe indigestion after a heavy meal turned out to be something far more sinister. At the ER, Dr. Aslan's demeanor shifted the moment she saw my ECG. There was a focused intensity, a quiet command. She bypassed the usual lengthy admission process, initiating protocols immediately. She explained in clear, blunt Turkish, 'Mehmet Bey, this is your heart, not your stomach. We need to act fast.' Her team moved like a synchronized unit under her direction. Her directness wasn't harsh; it was honest and necessary. She saved my life that night, and her follow-up visit the next morning was filled with a warmth that hadn't been possible during the crisis.
I presented with what seemed like a routine severe ankle sprain from a misstep on a yacht. Dr. Aslan, however, pursued a subtle detail I'd mentioned in passing: a tingling sensation in my little toe. While the junior staff were ready to wrap it and send me home, she ordered a specific stress X-ray. She discovered a rare Lisfranc ligament complex injury, which, if missed, would have led to permanent foot deformity and arthritis. Her clinical curiosity and refusal to dismiss patient-reported nuances, however minor, prevented a lifetime of disability. Her review was thorough, her explanation meticulous, turning a potential diagnostic oversight into a masterclass in attentive trauma medicine.
As a tourist from Germany, I suffered a severe allergic reaction to an unknown seafood. My throat was closing. In the chaos of the ER, Dr. Aslan was a model of terrifying efficiency. There were no unnecessary questions, only sharp, clear commands to her team in rapid Turkish. I saw her administer epinephrine herself, her hands steady, her eyes constantly monitoring my vitals. Once stabilized, her entire persona changed. She sat, translated everything through a tablet, explained the anaphylaxis process, and crafted a detailed allergy action plan in both Turkish and English for the rest of my trip. She transitioned seamlessly from emergency savior to empathetic educator, ensuring my safety long after I left her care.