President Erdoğan Lays Foundation for Cerrahpaşa Hospital’s First Stage, Criticizes IMM
Istanbul, March 14 – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the first stage of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Hospital and the collective opening of 16 education and dormitory buildings at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (İÜC) on Saturday. During the event, President Erdoğan announced that the completed project will feature a modern, robust campus befitting Istanbul, boasting a total enclosed area of 650,000 square meters, 900 patient beds (150 of which will be in intensive care), and 40 operating rooms. The new Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty building is designed to offer high-standard healthcare services equipped with the latest technology.
Transformation of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty
President Erdoğan extended his congratulations to all healthcare professionals on March 14th Medicine Day. He elaborated on the transformation efforts at Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, which began after the major Marmara earthquake but remained limited. A new process management plan was initiated in 2013 to make the reinforcement and reconstruction activities more effective, necessitating the relocation of the hospital and the construction of a new building on the same site after demolishing the old, earthquake-vulnerable structure.
Continued Services Amidst Construction
Since 2018, these efforts have continued under the newly established Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa. The project was designed in three stages, aiming for simultaneous construction and uninterrupted continuation of education and healthcare services. To achieve this, 23 steel-frame buildings, spanning approximately 40,000 square meters, were constructed in an area initially planned for the final stage. This ensured that both the education of young students and the healthcare services provided to citizens continued without interruption.
Impact of the February 6th Earthquake
Following the devastating February 6th earthquake, which Erdoğan referred to as the “catastrophe of the century,” reinforced concrete buildings at Cerrahpaşa, including those strengthened after the Marmara earthquake, were decommissioned. The Yeşilköy Professor Doktor Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, completed in a mere 45 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, was then allocated for use by Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty. Currently, while the new earthquake-resistant buildings continue their primary functions, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty continues to provide healthcare services at the emergency hospital near Atatürk Airport.
Cerrahpaşa Becomes a Transportation Hub
President Erdoğan highlighted past difficulties with the old Cerrahpaşa buildings, which were separate and distant, making it challenging for patients, especially the elderly, to navigate the slopes. Patients needing X-rays had to use ambulances, and parking was scarce. To address these transportation issues, significant investments have been made recently. The area was completely revised, providing a road connection from the coastal road to Samatya. The Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme Rail System Line was renovated and put into service. To facilitate access to Cerrahpaşa via this line, a Cerrahpaşa station was added between Yenikapı and Samatya. Furthermore, the Yenikapı Marmaray station has made Cerrahpaşa a central point for comfortable transportation extending from Halkalı to the Anatolian side.
900 Beds, 40 Operating Rooms, and Earthquake Resistance
Upon completion, the project will establish a modern, powerful, and Istanbul-worthy campus with a total enclosed area of 650,000 square meters, 900 patient beds (including 150 in intensive care), 40 operating rooms, a 3,000-vehicle indoor parking facility, a helicopter pad, and education and dormitory buildings. The new Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty building, for which the first stage foundation will be laid shortly, will be a high-tech, high-standard hospital serving citizens. All hospital buildings within the project are designed to be earthquake-resistant and equipped with seismic isolators.
Criticism of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
President Erdoğan also mentioned that numerous artifacts were unearthed during the construction, as the hospital is located within an archaeological site. These excavations, coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, brought to light thousands of artifacts, enriching Istanbul’s cultural heritage. Among them was a water cistern over a thousand years old and approximately 200 meters in size. Using special and new techniques, these structures were successfully relocated to another area in Cerrahpaşa, setting an example in archaeological literature for the first 3D relocation of a historical structure in Istanbul.
Unfulfilled Promises by IMM Regarding Museum
Erdoğan then criticized the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), stating, “I leave the regrettable incident we encountered during this process to your and our esteemed nation’s discretion.” He referred to the Cerrahpaşa Medical History Museum, Turkey’s first and largest medical museum, which houses significant works from the Ottoman and Republican periods. He stated that the restoration of this museum was completed in 2019 under a protocol signed during the late Kadir Topbaş’s tenure, meaning promises were kept within three years, and the legacy of Gazi Mustafa Kemal was preserved. However, the protocol also covered the maintenance, classification, and exhibition of the museum’s inventory.
“What happened after 2019? What happened to Istanbul also happened to the protocol,” Erdoğan continued, accusing the IMM of becoming a victim of “not laying foundations, not doing work, producing excuses” politics. He asserted that the IMM failed to fulfill any of its obligations, leading to a long delay in necessary work for the exhibition and arrangement of over 40,000 artifacts in the museum. He concluded by criticizing those who frequently invoke Atatürk’s name for political gain but have turned their backs on Gazi Mustafa Kemal’s legacy and the Medical History Museum. “We continued our work with determination, ignoring all of this,” Erdoğan affirmed.
Source: yenisafak.com
