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DPA
Istanbul
The leaders of Turkey and Japan opened a new hospital in Istanbul, which they called a symbol of their enduring friendship in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital is named for Turkey’s pine trees and Japan’s cherry blossoms, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said of the more than 2,600-bed facility.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who joined the event via videolink, said he hoped the public-private enterprise would further economic activity in the country.
Erdogan, who was not wearing a mandatory face mask, said the hospital will “play a critical role” in the fight against the novel coronavirus, calling it also a step “symbolizing our permanent friendship.”
More than 15,000 pine and cherry blossom trees have been planted around the hospital, which has the daily capacity for 35,000 outpatients and 500 operations, Erdogan said.
Turkey aims to make it a hub for health tourism also given its proximity to Istanbul’s main international airport as the country mitigates the economic fallout of the global health crisis.
The Health Ministry already has guidelines in place to start accepting patients from 31 countries, including Germany, Britain and Russia.
Istanbul
The leaders of Turkey and Japan opened a new hospital in Istanbul, which they called a symbol of their enduring friendship in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital is named for Turkey’s pine trees and Japan’s cherry blossoms, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said of the more than 2,600-bed facility.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who joined the event via videolink, said he hoped the public-private enterprise would further economic activity in the country.
Erdogan, who was not wearing a mandatory face mask, said the hospital will “play a critical role” in the fight against the novel coronavirus, calling it also a step “symbolizing our permanent friendship.”
More than 15,000 pine and cherry blossom trees have been planted around the hospital, which has the daily capacity for 35,000 outpatients and 500 operations, Erdogan said.
Turkey aims to make it a hub for health tourism also given its proximity to Istanbul’s main international airport as the country mitigates the economic fallout of the global health crisis.
The Health Ministry already has guidelines in place to start accepting patients from 31 countries, including Germany, Britain and Russia.
