İzmir health and arts complex to open with 500-bed hospital in October

BY AHMET TAŞ | WISE NEWS PRESS

İZMİR, TÜRKİYE — Bazekol Health Group plans to open a 500-bed hospital and 224-unit medical tourism residence in northern İzmir in October, combining treatment, accommodation, cultural venues and retail services on one campus.

Located along the Çiğli-Menemen corridor, the project is designed to serve local patients while expanding the group’s international healthcare operations. The company says the complex is nearing completion, although the final opening date will depend on licensing, commissioning and operational preparations.

The investment comes as Türkiye seeks to increase its share of the international healthcare market. The Ministry of Trade said the country received about 1.5 million health tourists and generated $3 billion in healthcare service exports in 2024.

A 500-bed hospital and 224-unit residence

The centrepiece of the project will be a fully equipped hospital with capacity for 500 beds. A separate residence containing 224 furnished units will accommodate international patients and, where required, their relatives or carers during treatment and recovery.

Bazekol Health Group Chairman and surgeon Dr Mehmet Baz said the campus was planned as more than a conventional hospital. The aim, according to the company, is to place medical services, temporary accommodation and daily-life facilities within the same controlled environment.

The model could reduce the need for foreign patients to travel repeatedly between hospitals and hotels. Medical appointments, inpatient care, rehabilitation and accommodation would instead be coordinated from the same campus.

The company has described October 2026 as its target opening period in its latest announcement. Earlier project information referred more generally to an opening toward the end of the year, indicating that the timetable has evolved as construction and preparations have progressed.

Treatment and accommodation on the same campus

Bazekol currently places many patients arriving from overseas in hotels around İzmir. The new residence is intended to move that accommodation directly onto the hospital campus.

The company says it receives patients from several European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Commonly requested services include hair transplantation, plastic and reconstructive surgery, bariatric surgery and dental treatment.

Housing patients close to clinical departments may make postoperative examinations, wound care, physical therapy and emergency support easier to coordinate. It may also provide relatives with more direct access to the patient’s medical team.

However, the quality of an integrated medical tourism service depends on more than accommodation. International patients also require transparent pricing, informed consent, language support, medical records, complication management and continuity of care after they return home.

Türkiye’s updated international health tourism rules, published in May 2025, provide the regulatory framework for authorised healthcare providers and intermediary organisations operating in this field.

Robotic surgery, cardiac care and oncology planned

The hospital is expected to include the clinical branches already offered within the Bazekol group, alongside expanded specialist services.

According to Dr Baz, planned departments include cardiac surgery, oncology, advanced surgical services and physical therapy. The organisation also intends to use the Da Vinci robotic surgery system for selected procedures.

Robotic surgery allows doctors to perform certain operations through small incisions using instruments controlled from a surgical console. Its suitability depends on the patient, diagnosis, surgical team and type of procedure; it is not automatically preferable for every operation.

The company has also announced plans for rehabilitation units and a swimming pool within the complex. These facilities could support patients requiring structured physical therapy after orthopaedic, neurological or other treatments.

The precise range of departments available at launch, as well as staffing and equipment schedules, will become clearer when the hospital completes its commissioning and begins accepting patients.

Arts, theatre and retail included in the project

The development also includes spaces that are not normally associated with a hospital campus.

Bazekol says the complex will contain a shopping arcade with 15 stores, an art gallery, an arts centre and a theatre with seating for 250 people. Plans also include music, opera, ballet and theatre performances, as well as the possible establishment of a chamber orchestra.

The retail area is intended to provide patients, staff, relatives and visitors with access to everyday products and services without leaving the campus. The cultural facilities are designed to offer social activities for patients undergoing longer treatment or rehabilitation programmes.

Dr Baz said the group wanted to respond to demand for a healthcare experience that includes technology, trust and social support rather than focusing solely on clinical treatment. The statement reflects the company’s proposed service model and should not be interpreted as an independently assessed measure of clinical quality.

Healthcare outcomes will ultimately depend on medical standards, staffing, patient safety, infection control and the effectiveness of each treatment programme.

Group reports 2,300 employees and 350 doctors

Bazekol Health Group says it currently employs approximately 2,300 people, including 350 physicians.

The company also reports receiving about 600 international patients annually and says roughly one-third of its revenue comes from international healthcare services. These figures were supplied by the group and have not been independently audited for this report.

The new hospital is expected to create additional medical, nursing, administrative, technical, hospitality and support positions. A separate company statement indicated that the wider workforce could rise to about 2,800 after the investment becomes operational.

Recruiting enough experienced doctors, nurses and specialised technicians will be a key part of preparing the 500-bed facility for service. The scale of staffing required at opening will depend on how many beds and departments are activated during the first operational phase.

İzmir seeks a larger medical tourism role

İzmir already combines an international airport, coastal tourism infrastructure and a large healthcare workforce. The new campus is intended to use those advantages to attract a greater number of patients from Europe and other regions.

Nationally, Türkiye’s medical tourism sector expanded significantly between 2012 and 2024. According to the Ministry of Trade, international patient numbers increased sixfold to 1.5 million, while healthcare service export revenue rose fourfold to $3 billion.

The ministry also reported that 221 organisations were listed on its “Heal in Türkiye” portal as of June 2025 and that 42 Turkish healthcare institutions held Joint Commission International accreditation at that time.

For İzmir, the value of the Bazekol project will depend on whether it can combine clinical quality with reliable international patient coordination, accessible transport, transparent procedures and appropriate follow-up care.

The company’s latest timetable anticipates an October opening. Further information is expected as authorisations are completed and the group announces which departments, residential units and public spaces will become operational during the first phase.

WiseNewsPress.com