|
 The Ankara City Hospital, built at a cost of around 1 billion euros,
is equipped with some 3,810 beds and covers an area the size of
around 100 football pitches. Critics in the health sector say its
size will cause logistical problems.
Erdogan said that those opposed to such hospitals were against all
major projects built by his governments.
"They come out against bridges, highways, tunnels, airports,
high-speed train lines, hospitals and schools, but they are the ones
who use them the most," he said in a speech at a ceremony to mark
the hospital's opening.
Major construction projects have improved the quality of life for
millions in Turkey but some have drawn a backlash for their
excessive cost.
Istanbul's new $12 billion airport, billed as one of the world's
biggest, is scheduled to open fully next month. Turkey is also
planning to build a $16 billion canal that would turn the western
side of Istanbul into an island.
Ankara is planning to open some 30 hospitals using the public
private partnership (PPP) model and Erdogan said such large
hospitals would be able to provide comprehensive healthcare in a
single complex.
Hospital contractor CCN Holding secured a 890 million euro ($1.01
billion) project financing loan for the project, it said on its
website. The government will pay rent on it for 25 years.
Several hospitals across the Turkish capital have been shut down or
are being closed to redirect staff and patients to the new Ankara
City Hospital, while some of the equipment is also being brought
over to the new complex.
CRITICISM
Critics say the hospital's size makes it harder to control the
spread of infections and distances within the complex will be
detrimental to patient service and the work of medical staff.
The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) said it wrote to the health
ministry detailing concerns but had not yet received a response.
[to top of second column] |
"It has been proven in research conducted across the world that
central hospitals are not cost effective and that they impact public
health quite negatively," TTB head Sinan Adiyaman told Reuters.
Adiyaman said the size and location of the Ankara City Hospital
posed problems for traffic around the hospital, which is located on
one of the city's largest and most used roads.
European cities now prefer building several smaller hospitals rather
a single large one and the PPP business model has largely been
abandoned, he said, adding it was impossible for the government to
make a short or long-term profit from the new hospitals.
"You need to organize, plan these very carefully, shift things
around to find the right way. These aren't things you do while
looking out for some populist, political benefits. Health is a very
serious issue," Adiyaman said.
Erdogan, whose AK Party has Islamist roots, is popular among more
pious Turks but secular Turks say his policies infringe on private
lives and personal rights.
The AK Party has dominated Turkish politics for more than 16 years
but faces challenges in local elections on March 31 due to a
slowdown in the economy.
One employee at the Ankara City Hospital said the hospital, located
in the Bilkent neighborhood, was opened to patients last month
despite construction still being underway in several parts of the
complex.
"We are struggling to get to everything at the moment, so I don't
know how we will manage to do so when it's functioning at full
capacity," the employee said.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by
Daren Butler and Frances Kerry)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
