Balıklı Greek Hospital

Balıklı Greek Hospital Balıklı Rum Hastanesi
File:Balikli Rum Hastanesi 2010-10-09 02.jpg Entrance of Hospital and view of Church
Geography
Location	Yedikule, Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, Turkey
Coordinates
Organisation
Patron	Dimitri Karayani
Services
Beds	650
Links
Website	www.baliklirum.com
Lists	Hospitals in Turkey

The Balıklı Greek Hospital (Turkish: Balıklı Rum Hastanesi) is a health care institution at Balıklı neighborhood of Yedikule quarter in Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, which was established in the 18th century and continues its service run by the Greek community of Turkey.

History

The Balıklı Greek Hospital was originally established as the Yedikule Hospital through Ottoman government edict in 1753. The hospital was built and sponsored by the Union of Greek Grocers. The immediate objective of the hospital was to help cure epidemics and common diseases specifically affecting the ethnic Greek population of Constantinople. The hospital however was subjected to a fire in 1790, which completely destroyed the structure. The hospital was rebuilt in 1793 under the sponsorship of Patriarch Neophytus VIII (reigned 1891-1894).

File:Balikli Rum Hastanesi 2010-10-09 01.jpg

Church on the premises of the hospital

By the end of the 18th century, the Greek community of Constantinople had built three hospitals: this one, in 1762 another in the district of Galata and in 1780 a third in Pera. All three hospitals had their own particular constitutions, but they were all placed under the supervision of the Ecumenical Patriarch, who was responsible for nominating the administrative boards of the hospitals. In 1852, through the sponsorship of Patriarch Cyril VI, the Balıklı hospital established an orphanage on the premises. The hospital also features a church, which serves not only for the patients but the Greek Orthodox community at large. During the Istanbul riots of 1955, the hospital received many patients, who suffered from trauma, rape, and physical abuse. The hospital was restored in 1991 and in 1994, the first private clinic for the treatment of alcohol and substance abuse in Turkey was established.

Today

Today, Balıklı Greek Hospital continues to cater the public in Istanbul. In 2011, the hospital had 39 doctors, 98 nurses, and other assistants and personnel, which account for 440 employees in total.