President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated Saturday a large hospital complex in the western province of Izmir, along with the link roads, hailing the growing number of advanced health care facilities across the country.
At the opening ceremony of Izmir City Hospital, Erdoğan said: "We have provided all our cities with the most advanced health care services with all their buildings, equipment and ambulances. We have elevated our health care services to a level above world standards with city hospitals put into service in many places as well as in Izmir."
Stating that the hospital is a work worthy of Izmir with its closed area of 628,000 square meters, high bed capacity, intensive care units, operating rooms, indoor and outdoor car parks, and other units, Erdoğan highlighted the efforts of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry in the project.
"Izmir City Hospital is one of the largest, highest capacity and most modern health complexes not only in our country but also in the world. This magnificent investment, which includes six separate hospitals, is an important sign of our work and service policy," he noted.
Erdoğan also recalled earlier projects they have undertaken, such as the Sabuncubeli Tunnel between Manisa and Izmir and the Konak Tunnel, and voiced hope that "citizens of our beautiful Izmir will appoint our brother Hamza Dağ as the head of the metropolitan city and thus, the suffering of our Izmir in terms of infrastructure will end."
"We said health, and we provided all of our cities with the most modern health services with their buildings, equipment and ambulances," he said.
He also noted they had strengthened the human resources in this area, with nearly 1.5 million health care workers, 310,000 of them doctors.
"We have brought service to our citizens' doorsteps by providing 2.5 million people across the country with health care services at home," said Erdoğan.
Following his speech, the president opened the Izmir Bayraklı City Hospital and its connection roads by cutting the ribbon together with health care professionals. Later, he inspected the hospital and visited the kids receiving treatment there.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) General Secretary Fatih Şahin and AK Party Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor candidate Dağ also attended the opening.
As part of his speech, Koca noted that the facility, which has a capacity of 2,060 beds, 374 of which are intensive care units, constitutes the highest level of health investments in Izmir.