President Erdoğan Ordered the Governor: “Gather Them and Take Them Away!” Breaking news: Istanbul Kartal State Hospital has opened in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Speaking at the opening of the Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital, President Erdoğan made several important remarks. He warned that, despite coronavirus precautions, unwanted scenes can still occur at certain mass gatherings such as soldier send-off ceremonies and condolences. He said such behavior is unacceptable, adding that while trying to see off soldiers people end up endangering their friends. “I instructed my governor: if you see a send-off like that, gather them and take them away,” he said.
We Will Make Turkey the Health Hub for Three Continents!
We will make Turkey the health hub for three continents. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized that the hospital opened today is the largest in Istanbul. “We decided to demolish the old hospital and build a facility worthy of Istanbul,” he said. He explained that the new hospital, with its equipment and infrastructure among the leaders in its field, is planned to serve 3.5 million outpatients and 150,000 inpatients annually.
The coronavirus pandemic has once again shown how vital health and health infrastructure are. During this challenging period, we provided first-class health services to all 83 million citizens, Erdoğan noted. “We have done everything in our power in the fight against coronavirus and will continue to do so,” he added. He also pointed out that, unlike some countries, Turkey did not face shortages in basic needs and provided patients with every possible resource, from testing to medication. Our fight against the coronavirus has opened a new window of opportunity for health tourism in Turkey.
Follow the Measures!
Follow the measures! The most important way to fight the pandemic is to avoid becoming infected. We emphasize the three basic rules: cleanliness, masks, and distancing. We must change our habits. The president reiterated that send-off gatherings should not be allowed to develop in risky ways and repeated his instruction to the governor to disperse such gatherings immediately. “In our faith, there is no contemplation without precaution,” he said. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca also attended the opening and spoke, warning that recent indicators have increased our concern. “Let us insistently and steadfastly adhere to the measures,” he urged.