New Kyrenia Hospital to open after years of delays

The opening follows years of controversy surrounding a project that began as a private hospital development by Girne American University but remained unfinished. The Finance Ministry took over the partially completed building in February 2020 against the university’s outstanding social insurance debts.

Its conversion into a public hospital subsequently became a prolonged undertaking, with successive tendering attempts failing to secure completion. Earlier tenders were cancelled amid funding, legal and exchange-rate difficulties, before a third tender process was launched in 2022. A construction contract was eventually signed later that year, with completion initially expected within approximately ten months.

That timetable slipped considerably, leaving the hospital a recurring subject of political debate until its completion under Prime Minister Ünal Üstel’s government.

The new hospital is equipped with MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound systems, providing facilities for a broad range of diagnostic examinations. Health Minister Hakan Dinçyürek announced in August that the building had been completed, the main medical equipment installed and beds and furnishings placed in the rooms.

The facility is intended to expand public healthcare provision in the Kyrenia area, where the existing Dr Akçiçek Hospital has struggled to meet demand.