The Hospital Built by TİKA in Gaza Will Give Hope to Palestinians in the Fight against the Coronavirus

The hospital built in Gaza and equipped with modern medical equipment by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) was transferred to Palestinian authorities as per the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to combat COVID-19.

Built by Turkey, the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital in Gaza will give hope to Palestinians in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the city, where the healthcare system faces challenges due to the blockade.

The healthcare facilities build by TİKA around the world both provide a remedy to local people and constitute a fortress during the global coronavirus outbreak.

The Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital in Gaza, which was built by TİKA and is the largest healthcare facility in Palestine, was transferred to Palestinian authorities as per the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

Ismail Haniyeh, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, spoke to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the phone on March 20 and requested that the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital be transferred to be used as a “temporary quarantine hospital” due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza. President Erdoğan accepted this request, and TİKA initiated the process following his instructions and contacted the Islamic University of Gaza and the Palestinian Ministry of Health for the transfer of the hospital.

A provisional deed of transfer was issued and signed by TİKA and the Rectorate of the Islamic University of Gaza for the transfer of the hospital. The hospital was transferred fully with all its equipment to Gazan authorities on March 26, 2020.

– The construction of the hospital had begun in Gaza as per the instructions of our President

When visiting Turkey in 2010 during the premiership of President Erdoğan, the Board of Visitors of the Islamic University of Gaza requested that a training and research hospital be built for the university in Gaza. President Erdoğan instructed TİKA to build the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital, and the construction began in 2011.

The construction of the hospital began at the campus of the Faculty of Medicine at the Islamic University of Gaza and could only be completed in 2017 due to the embargo and the restrictions on the movement of people and goods caused by the Gaza wars in 2012 and 2014.

The construction of the hospital was completed despite the heavy blockade and embargo imposed by Israel. A Turkish company equipped the hospital with modern medical equipment in cooperation with TİKA.

– The largest and most modern hospital in Palestine

The hospital, which has a total interior space of 33,400 sq. meters, consists of 8 interconnected blocks, 4 operating rooms, intensive care units, laboratories, and 180 rooms. The Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital is the largest and most modern hospital not only in Gaza but also in Palestine.

TİKA also completed the Tubas Turkish Hospital in 2012. It is the first hospital in the region of Tubas, which is located in the West Bank, Palestine and has a population of 40,000. Put into service in 2014 following the provision of necessary medical equipment, the 30-bed hospital treats approximately 40,000 patients each year, including patients from nearby cities. 

Turkey is fighting the coronavirus at a global level through TİKA

The Batumi Infectious Diseases Hospital in Georgia, which was renovated by TİKA, and the Kyrgyz-Turkish Friendship Hospital in Kyrgyzstan are two important centers in Turkey’s global fight against the coronavirus outbreak.