Zeynep Kamil Hastanesi, currently Zeynep Kamil Women and Children Training and Research Hospital, is the oldest health institution in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul still operating. It was founded in 1862 by Zeynep Hanimefendi, daughter of the Governor of Egypt, and her husband, Yusuf Kâmil Paşa, on their private property. The hospital was established to provide free health services to patients and can be considered the first special charity in Istanbul1.
The hospital was built in Üsküdar in 1862 by Yusuf Kamil Pasha and his wife Zeynep Hanım in their private property to provide free services to patients, and is the oldest health institution in Üsküdar that has continued to provide health services to the present day. The hospital's plans were drawn by Italian architects Bernasconi and Duca.
Between 1863 and 1915, the hospital was used as a private surgical clinic for Doctor Cemil Topuzlu Pasha, the palace physician. During the period of Dr. Cemil Topuzlu Pasha, the hospital was modernized by renovations, medical equipment was renewed, a central heating system was installed, and Austrian nurses from St. Georges Hospital were assigned to care for the patients. In addition to surgical operations, cesarean sections were also performed at the hospital.
The hospital, which was transferred to the Istanbul Municipality in 1933, was converted into a maternity hospital in 1935. Between 1952 and 1961, a 150-bed gynecology clinic, a 200-bed pediatrics clinic, and a nursing school building were added to meet the increasing needs of the hospital.
Today, the hospital, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health, provides specialist training in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and pediatric surgery, in addition to the medical services provided in its branches2.
Wings and the entrances of the hospital
The front entrance of the hospital and the busts of its founders
Zeynep Kamil Women and Children's Hospital was awarded the title of Baby-Friendly Hospital for following successful breastfeeding practices recommended by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
- Photos by Alara Ozkan and Egemen Cihanoglu (August 2024)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
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