In memory of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çınar Yastı
On December 22, 2023, Turkish Surgery bid a fond farewell to an extremely valuable name. After serving tirelessly on the Turkish Surgical Association Board of Directors for seven years, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çınar Yastı passed away, leaving behind invaluable memories and significant services.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çınar Yastı was born in Mersin in November 1968, as the second of four children born to pharmacist parents, according to his curriculum vitae. Following his boarding secondary education in Konya Anatolian High School and Ankara Science High School, he graduated with honors from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine and began practicing medicine.
Academic Career
At Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, he completed his training in general surgery. He was named an Associate Professor in 2008, an Intensive Care Sub-Branch Specialist in 2013, and a Professor in 2014. Established in 1969 as Türkiye’s first burn clinic, the Ankara Numune Burn Unit named him the responsible physician in 2009.
Prof. Dr. Yastı, the Ministry of Health’s Chairman of the Burn Science Board, oversaw the research on the 2010 Regulation on the Establishment and Operation of Burn Treatment Units in Inpatient Health Facilities and took part in its revision studies in 2011 and 2019.
Under the direction of Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital and Ankara Bilkent City Hospital Burn Treatment Center, over 400 nurses and over 100 specialist physicians received training. Furthermore, many foreign medical professionals -including doctors and nurses- have received training.
In Numune Hospital Akyurt Integrated Unit, he established and defined Türkiye’s first inpatient chronic wound unit in 2011. He led the legislative studies on the competency and physical requirements needed for the opening of hyperbaric centers and took part in the construction and legislation of the Akyurt Hyperbaric Medicine Application Center installation works. In his capacity as the Ministry’s Türkiye Chronic Wound Coordinator, he made sure that the first Chronic Wound Care Services Circular was defined in legislation and helped bring it to print in 2021.
From 2012 to 2017, he pursued his education at Çorum Hitit University and Ankara Numune Hospital. In 2019, Prof. Dr. Yastı, who was teaching at the University of Health Sciences, was named the Burn Treatment Center’s physician-in-charge at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital.
For his work on burns, he was awarded State Orders of Appreciation in both Azerbaijan and Romania. He took an active part in the Karabakh War, helping to treat burn patients. The Ministry of Health took part in service and training events as part of the Ministry of Health’s Health Weeks in numerous nations, including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Gagauzia, Kosovo, Mauritania, Djibouti, Yemen, and Sudan.
Not only has he been a consistent member of the Turkish Surgery Board of Directors since 2016, but he has also been the association’s Secretary General for the past five years. Deniz Elif is the daughter of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çınar Yastı, whom he loves. Ahmet Çınar Yastı was just a close friend of mine when we first met in 1983 in Ankara Science High School. We attended our boarding school for nearly three years. My 40-year friend Çınar and I ran into each other again at Ankara Numune Hospital General Surgery Clinic. Çınar became a very important friend of mine and we entered into a crucial partnership when the General Surgery assistant fellowship was added to the boarding school fellowship. We were aware of our mutual dependability in times of need. Even in circumstances I did not anticipate, he did everything in his power to support me. Naturally, Çınar extended his helping hand to all of us who knew him, not just to me. His social intelligence was extremely high; he was able to make friends with people of all social levels and communicate with them in a natural way. He was so kind to so many people. He was a person who looked out for his team, was gregarious and friendly, offered his helping hand to those in need and asked for assistance, and provided whatever assistance he could at no cost. I want to express my gratitude to my beloved brother for leaving us with so many priceless works and memories. Respectfully, I bow in remembrance of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çınar Yastı.