Ankara, Türkiye, 9 April 2025 – The Board of Executive Directors of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has approved EUR 500 million in financing for Türkiye under a project to enhance the provision of safe, sustainable, and disaster-resilient healthcare services.

The landmark project targets the reconstruction of two hospitals in Istanbul, ensuring that they can withstand earthquakes and maintain continuous healthcare delivery. 

The approval came at the 359th meeting of the IsDB’s Board of Executive Directors, on Sunday 16 March 2025, chaired by IsDB President, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser.   

The Disaster-Resilient Health Infrastructure Project falls under the larger Istanbul Seismic Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness (ISMEP) initiative of the Governorship of Istanbul. It aims to meet Istanbul’s growing healthcare need for sustainability by adding nearly 2,500 hospital beds and addressing the growing demand for high-quality, accessible, and resilient healthcare services. 

Under the project, the IsDB will finance the reconstruction and expansion of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul’s Ataşehir district.

The hospital's bed capacity is planned to increase from 310 to 1,584 beds. Once completed, the facility will see outpatient visits increase from 1 million to 2.6 million and emergency patients from 250,000 to 800,000 annually. The surgical operational capacity of the hospital will also triple.

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), which is a co-financier under the ISMEP initiative, would finance the upgrading, expansion, and merging of the Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital with the Dr. Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital.

Additionally, the Government of Türkiye will contribute through the provision of medical equipment, furniture and technology, as well as the necessary staffing in the targeted hospitals. 

On the occasion, the Director of the IsDB Group Regional Hub in Türkiye, Dr. Walid Abdelwahab, said: “We are proud to be part of this strategic project which will enhance access to quality, reliable, and sustainable healthcare services. The project strongly aligns with the country’s 12th Development Plan and is also part of the US$ 6.3 billion IsDB Group Country Engagement Framework (CEF) for Türkiye (2024-2026) that was signed between the Bank and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in late April 2024.”

About the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group  
Rated AAA by the major rating agencies of the world, the Islamic Development Bank is the pioneering multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Global South that has been working for over 50 years to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves by delivering impact at scale. The Bank brings together 57 Member Countries across four continents, touching the lives of nearly 1 of 4 people worldwide. It is committed to addressing development challenges and promoting collaboration to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by equipping people to drive their own green economic and sustainable social progress, putting planet-friendly infrastructure in place, and enabling them to fulfill their potential. Headquartered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, IsDB has 10 regional hubs and a center of excellence.  Over the years, the Bank has evolved from a single entity into a group comprising: the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI); the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC); the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD); the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC); and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD).