President Erdoğan: Turkey and Japan display exemplary success in an era of collapsing healthcare systems
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the Başakşehir Çam (Pine) and Sakura City Hospital and delivered a speech at the ceremony, in which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan participated via videoconference.
Thanking Prime Minister Abe of Japan for participating in the ceremony, President Erdoğan offered his gratitude to all who contributed to the construction of the hospital.
Recalling such major infrastructure projects as Marmaray and the Osman Gazi Bridge which were built together with Japanese companies, President Erdoğan said: “Today, we add a new link to the long established and multi-dimensional Turkish-Japanese friendship. We named our hospital the ‘Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital’ which befits the cooperation between our two countries.”
President Erdoğan underlined that the hospital, jointly built by Rönesans and Sojitz, symbolizes the cooperation and solidarity between Turkey and Japan.
“ISTANBUL HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE HUB”
Noting that the hospital complex with its 1,021,000 square meters closed area built on 789,000 square meters of land is already one of the leading hospitals in the world, President Erdoğan stated that the eco-and-energy friendly hospital with its total bed capacity of 2,682 and 456 intensive care beds, 725 polyclinic rooms, and 90 operation rooms will play a critical role in the fight against COVID-19.
Adding that the hospital will serve in 107 branches, President Erdoğan said that it will also treat foreign patients thanks to its close location to the Istanbul Airport. “Istanbul has become an international healthcare hub,” President Erdoğan underscored.
Highlighting the major difficulties, countries are faced with in fighting the pandemic that has cost 330,000 lives so far, President Erdoğan said: “Turkey has delivered medical supplies to 82 countries and will continue to do so.”
“Because this is our humanitarian and conscientious duty. And we are proud to do it. Turkey and Japan display exemplary success while the healthcare systems are collapsing and the public order is sustaining wounds. In terms of the number of cases, deaths and the smooth functioning of the healthcare system, we are doing extremely well. As of yesterday, we lowered our daily case count below zero. All other indicators are displaying positive progress,” President Erdoğan said.
Reiterating his thanks to Prime Minister Abe of Japan for sharing their excitement, President Erdoğan offered his condolences for the Japanese people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
