Required Equipment in Turkish Ambulances: 2025 Regulation Standards
The 2025 Ambulance Regulation (Annexes 1 and 2) specifies every piece of technical and medical equipment that must be present in licensed Turkish ambulances. Here is what a compliant Emergency Ambulance carries.
- Medical review
- Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)Prepared with input from the Medical Board. AI-assisted draft.
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Key takeaways
- Annex 1 sets the vehicle requirements, Annex 2 the medical devices and supplies by ambulance type, and Annex 4 the medicines (all replaced on 24 June 2025).
- All medical devices must undergo regular maintenance, repair, testing, and calibration (Article 30/s).
- The responsible manager checks that equipment is complete, usable, and stored properly and sterile (Article 14/2-h).
In this article (9 sections)
When you call a licensed ambulance in Turkey, the vehicle that arrives must meet a defined set of requirements. The 2025 Ambulance Regulation sets them in its annexes: Annex 1 for the vehicle itself, Annex 2 for medical devices, equipment and supplies, and Annex 4 for medicines and IV fluids. The 24 June 2025 amendment replaced all three annexes. 17 The responsible manager must check that each ambulance keeps its Annex-1 features and that the Annex 2 and Annex 4 items are complete and usable (Article 14(2)(h)). 1
Vehicle Requirements (Annex 1)
Annex 1 covers land ambulances other than specially equipped ones: 7
- The vehicle must comply with Highway Traffic Law No. 2918. A vehicle licensed as an ambulance for the first time must be produced with national type approval and be no more than 60 months past its first registration.
- Every newly registered ambulance needs a document showing conformity with the TS EN 1789 standard; ambulances are inspected against the edition in force in their year of first registration.
- After 60 months, the Directorate can extend an ambulance's service up to 240 months from first registration, subject to a periodic inspection every three years by the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) or an institution it authorizes, and an inspection under Annexes 2 and 4.
- Patient-cabin length, width and height must meet the minimums on the TSE inspection form.
- Light and audible warning systems must comply with national rules. The patient cabin needs a ceiling handhold above the stretcher and a lockable drug compartment.
- A patient transport ambulance may not carry the word "Ambulans"; it reads "Hasta Nakil".
Annex 2 also lists four connected devices for every ambulance type: a camera device package, a mobile device package (used for case entry in the Emergency Health Automation System, ASOS), a vehicle tracking device, and a vehicle radio and antenna system. 7 Under Article 20, the camera, mobile and tracking devices must work and stay trackable throughout service, and the VHF or UHF vehicle radio stays on from dispatch to the end of the mission. 1
Medical Equipment (Annex 2)
Annex 2 lists 47 items with a minimum quantity for each ambulance type. In an emergency ambulance the list includes: 7
- Biphasic defibrillator with monitor
- Transport ventilator suitable for adult and paediatric use, with a PEEP valve
- Oxygen: two fixed cylinders of at least 10 litres with outlets, a portable cylinder, a reservoir mask and nasal cannula set
- Suction: a fixed vacuum aspirator, an electric portable aspirator, and suction catheters in three sizes
- Monitoring: fixed and portable blood-pressure devices (adult and paediatric cuffs) with stethoscopes, a finger pulse oximeter, a non-contact thermometer, and a blood-glucose meter
- Resuscitation kit in a bag: bag-valve-mask set, laryngoscope set, portable oxygen cylinder, intubation tubes, airway tubes, and oro/nasopharyngeal airways
- Stretchers and immobilization: main stretcher, combination stretcher, vacuum mattress, scoop stretcher, spine board with spider strap and head immobilizer, inflatable or vacuum splint set, cervical collar set, KED extrication vest, traction splint set, and pelvic binder
- Trauma and bleeding: a basic medical bag (ring cutter, tourniquet, sterile gauze, compresses, haemostatic material, bandages and plaster), a tactical tourniquet, a burn kit, and an intraosseous access set
- IV access: an infusion or syringe pump, IV sets and cannulas, IV poles, and syringes
- Emergency delivery kit
Medicines and IV fluids are not part of Annex 2; Annex 4 lists them separately, 39 items with a minimum quantity per ambulance type (full table in the Annex 4 section below). 7
Equipment by Ambulance Class (Annex 2)
Annex 2 gives a minimum quantity for each item by ambulance type. The table shows the items where the three types differ; a dash means the item is not required for that type. 7
| Item (Annex 2) | Patient transport | Emergency | Intensive care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biphasic defibrillator with monitor | 1 (an automated external defibrillator may be used instead) | 1 | 1 |
| Transport ventilator | 1 (a single-use automatic ventilator may be used instead) | 1 | 1 |
| Infusion pump or syringe pump | – | 1 | 1 |
| Scoop stretcher | – | 1 | 1 |
| Traction splint set | – | 1 | 1 |
| KED extrication vest | – | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency delivery kit | – | 1 | 1 |
| Burn kit | – | 1 | 1 |
| Intraosseous access set | – | 1 | 1 |
| Tactical tourniquet | – | 1 | 1 |
| Pelvic binder | – | 1 | 1 |
| Insulated container | – | 1 | 1 |
| External pacemaker | – | Optional | 1 |
| Capnometer | – | Optional | 1 |
| Chest drainage kit | – | – | 1 |
| Pericardiocentesis kit | – | – | 1 |
| Central venous catheter | – | – | 1 |
| IV poles | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Syringes (various sizes) | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| IV sets and cannulas | 5 | 5 | 10 |
An external pacemaker or a capnometer that is built into another device does not have to be carried separately. 7 The table describes what the regulation requires of each ambulance type; every Nova Ambulans vehicle is an Emergency Ambulance (ALS, ICU-equipped).
Medicines Required in the Ambulance (Annex 4)
The regulation sets the minimum medicines and IV fluids in a separate Annex 4 list, which the 24 June 2025 amendment replaced. 17 The table below reproduces the Annex 4 names and quantities for ground ambulances (the air and sea ambulance column is not shown); medicine names are translated from the Turkish annex. Only the authorised health personnel on the ambulance crew administer medicines; this section is for information only and gives no dosing or usage guidance.
| No. | Medicines and IV fluids (Annex 4) | Patient transport | Emergency and intensive care |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epinephrine (adrenaline) amp 1 mg | 10 | 20 |
| 2 | Lidocaine 2% amp | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Atropine amp 0.5 mg | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Antihistamine amp | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Beta-blocker amp | – | 2 |
| 6 | Antispasmodic amp | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Calcium amp | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Corticosteroid amp (dexamethasone) (8 mg) | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Corticosteroid amp (methylprednisolone) (40 mg) | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Diazepam amp* | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Diltiazem 25 mg amp | – | 2 |
| 12 | Dopamine 200 mg amp | – | 1 |
| 13 | Midazolam 5 mg amp | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Antiemetic amp* | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Antiepileptic amp* | – | 2 |
| 16 | Ethyl chloride spray | – | 1 |
| 17 | Verapamil amp | – | 2 |
| 18 | Furosemide amp | – | 5 |
| 19 | Amiodarone amp | – | 6 |
| 20 | Analgesic amp (IM/IV)* | 5 | 10 |
| 21 | Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) amp | 5 | 10 |
| 22 | Naloxone amp | 1 | 1 |
| 23 | Nebule (salbutamol + ipratropium bromide) | 2 | 4 |
| 24 | Anaesthetic ointment | 1 | 2 |
| 25 | Antimicrobial ointment | 1 | 2 |
| 26 | Proton pump inhibitor vial | 3 | 3 |
| 27 | Acetylsalicylic acid tablets (box) (non-enteric-coated preferred) | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Isosorbide dinitrate 5 mg tablets (box) | – | 1 |
| 29 | Captopril 25 mg tablets (box) | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | 20% dextrose 150 cc, 10% dextrose 250 cc and 5% dextrose 150 cc (of each) | 1 | 2 |
| 31 | Isotonic saline 100 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc (of each) | 1 | 2 |
| 32 | Lactated Ringer's 500 cc | 1 | 2 |
| 33 | Magnesium sulphate amp | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Flumazenil 0.5 mg amp | 1 | 2 |
| 35 | Paracetamol vial | – | 2 |
| 36 | Adenosine amp | – | 10 |
| 37 | Nifedipine 10 mg capsules (box) | – | 1 |
| 38 | Carbetocin 100 mcg/ml amp/vial | – | 1 |
| 39 | Fentanyl amp/vial* | – | 1 |
* Per the Annex 4 footnote, medicines in this group that are controlled substances are handed to the crew leader against a signed receipt, and their records are kept in due form, to guard against misuse. 7
Storage and Sterility (Article 14(2)(h))
Article 14(2)(h) makes the responsible manager check, and obtain where needed, that devices and supplies are complete, usable, and stored properly and sterile. 1 Annex 1 requires a lockable drug compartment in the patient cabin, and under Annex 4 controlled medicines are handed to the team leader against signature, with records kept. 7
Maintenance and Calibration (Article 30/1-s)
The Regulation's Article 30(1)(s) is a prohibition clause: it bans the use of any medical device on which the required maintenance, repair, testing, inspection, and calibration has not been performed in accordance with applicable legislation. It does not set a numeric calibration frequency. 1 The calibration period itself is governed by the Regulation on the Testing, Inspection and Calibration of Medical Devices and by the manufacturer's interval recorded in the Product Tracking System (ÜTS); for devices such as defibrillators and ventilators this interval is typically 6 to 12 months. 6 Nova Ambulans tracks service intervals for every device and removes any item from service if it cannot be verified as compliant.
Nova Ambulans Equipment
Each Nova Ambulans vehicle is checked before every shift. Equipment status is logged in the Emergency Health Automation System (ASOS). All our vehicles are Emergency Ambulances (Acil Yardım Ambulansı; ALS, ICU-equipped) carrying the Annex-1 and Annex-2 items; a physician is added on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every ambulance carry a defibrillator?
For emergency, intensive care, and patient transport ambulances, yes. Under the regulation's Annex 2, all three classes must carry a biphasic defibrillator with a monitor; a patient transport ambulance may use an automated external defibrillator instead. 1 The patient transport list is shorter elsewhere: on-scene and trauma items such as an infusion pump, an emergency delivery kit, a burn kit, and a traction splint are mandatory only for emergency and intensive care ambulances. 1
How often is ambulance equipment maintained?
Article 30(1)(s) of the Regulation is a prohibition clause: a medical device that has not undergone the required maintenance, repair, testing, inspection, and calibration cannot be used in an ambulance, but the article does not state a numeric frequency. 1 The calibration period is set under the Regulation on the Testing, Inspection and Calibration of Medical Devices and by the manufacturer's interval recorded in the Product Tracking System (ÜTS); for defibrillators and ventilators it is typically 6 to 12 months. 6
How do I know an ambulance has the required equipment?
Copies of the service conformity certificate, the vehicle's qualification certificate, the responsible-manager certificate and the personnel work permits must be kept in the ambulance (Article 14(2)(g)). The Provincial Health Directorate issues the qualification certificate after inspecting the vehicle under Annexes 2 and 4 (Article 9(1)(b)). 1
Can equipment be removed during transport to save weight?
No. The Annex 2 and Annex 4 items must be complete and usable (Article 14(2)(h)), and whether the ambulance carries them is a question on the Annex 10/B audit form. 17
What happens if required equipment is found missing during an audit?
The Annex 10/B ambulance audit form asks whether the medical devices, equipment and medicines in Annexes 2, 3 and 4 are on board. For a finding within one year, the first time the operator is warned and given seven days to fix it; the second time an administrative fine of 1% of the previous month's gross service income, at least 100,000 TL, applies; the third time the ambulance's qualification certificate is cancelled. 7
Sources
Numbers in the text refer to the sources below.
- Ambulances and Emergency Health Vehicles Regulation (OG-8/1/2025-32776) (opens in a new tab)Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health
- Vehicle Inspection Documents and Periodic Control (opens in a new tab)TÜVTÜRK Kuzey Güney Taşıt Muayene İstasyonları
- Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 — Article 6 (opens in a new tab)T.C. Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, April 7, 2016
- Emergency and Critical Care (opens in a new tab)World Health Organization (WHO)
- Regulation on the Testing, Inspection and Calibration of Medical Devices (OG-25/6/2015-29397) (opens in a new tab)Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health
- Regulation Amendment — Annexes 1, 2, 4, 10/B and 12 (Official Gazette 24/6/2025-32936) (opens in a new tab)Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey, June 24, 2025
Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)
Periodically reviewed by our editorial board of emergency physicians, paramedics and clinical coordinators.
This content is informational only and does not replace professional medical evaluation. In emergencies, call 112 or +90 216 339 00 39.
