Adalar Private Ambulance Service

Passenger ferries do not carry vehicles. Motor-vehicle access to the islands is provided exclusively by the Adalar Municipality landing craft (çıkartma gemisi) departing from Maltepe Pier — a service-only vessel that carries ambulances, fire trucks, police, and utility vehicles, never passengers. For scheduled transfers Nova handles the crossing arrangements; you only need to share an available date and time, and we take care of the rest.

For any life-threatening emergency the right call is always 112. Turkey's 112 Emergency Health Services maintains 24/7 land ambulance stations on Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kınalıada, plus sea ambulances based at Büyükada and Kınalıada. Nova's role begins with scheduled transfers, event medical standby, and the post-112 leg that completes the journey to a private hospital, preferred clinic, or home.

First-line care happens at the Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar EAH Büyükada annex, where the 24-hour emergency department provides stabilization. If advanced workup or treatment is required, the destination depends on which island the patient is leaving and how critical the case is. Sea ambulances from Büyükada, Heybeliada, and Burgazada land at the Maltepe shoreline; in time-critical cases the patient goes directly to Bezmialem Dragos, the closest hospital to the pier, while stable patients are routed to Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital, the public city hospital that also serves Adalar. Sea ambulances from Kınalıada, the westernmost island, land at the Bostancı shoreline because it is closer, and continue to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital in Ataşehir. Depending on the case and traffic, Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital may also be chosen.

That second leg is exactly what Nova handles. Families call us once their relative has been moved to the mainland public hospital by 112; we pick the patient up there and complete the transfer to the private hospital they prefer, to a different treatment center, or directly home. We arrive equipped for the patient's mobility level, including bedridden, chair-borne, or monitor-required transport.

Yes — Büyükada in particular sees regular pre-staged event medical coverage for weddings, concerts, sports events, and film shoots. A Nova ambulance crosses on the morning service, stations at the location designated by the organizer for the duration of the event, and returns at the end of the day. We recommend booking 1–2 weeks ahead in the summer season.

The Adalar Special Environmental Protection Area generally prohibits motor vehicles, but emergency-service vehicles (ambulance, fire, police) are exempt. When a Nova ambulance is on the island, the team adjusts its driving protocol for the narrow, hilly streets and the heavy bicycle and electric-vehicle pedestrian traffic; pedestrian safety has priority, and where appropriate we plan a stretcher or chair transfer on foot from the residence to the pier.

Yes — for treatments that recur several days a week (dialysis, chemotherapy, physical therapy), we set up a fixed-day, fixed-time program from the islands to the mainland treatment center, similar to a subscription. Crossings are scheduled around the patient's appointment time and total treatment duration. The family only needs to confirm the day; arranging the crossing is our responsibility.

In life-threatening cases, 112 sea ambulances continue to operate as conditions allow and the Coast Guard provides backup when needed. For non-emergency scheduled transfers, when sea travel is suspended we re-plan the run for the next safe crossing and keep the family informed at each stage. We prefer to ensure the patient can wait safely at home rather than take an unnecessary risk on the water.