Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital  

Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Ermeni Hastanesi (Armenian Hospital)

At the time of Mahmut II. for existing two hospitals being far away from each other and not having originally been planned and built as hospital buildings, they were not capable enough to meet the needs of the Armenian community. Upon the demand of the increased wealthy Armenian population for quality health services they decided to erect a new hospital.

They all compromised that Yedikule was the best suitable spot for this purpose and finally they chose Leblebicioğlu Bostanı that was situated between Kazlıçeşme and Yedikule.  The hospital was first opened ion 31 May 1834 with a pompous ceremony during Hampartsum Feasts.
A short while later they added next to it a small timber "Surp Hagop Maduru" church with the purpose to provide moral support to the sick people while they were hospitalised there, to baptize babies born at nights and to offer religious service to those expected to pass and those who passed.
Surp Pırgiç Hospital, having both medicinal and spiritual functions, is also called as "Vank/Monastery".  A firman granted by Sultan Mahmut II. provided assigning priests to this church and non-interference to the spiritual practices.
A pharmacy store was opened in the hospital in 1848.  In the course of time a clergy seminary, a nursery school, an orphanage and several ateliers for occupational education were opened, but they were deeply affected by the financial problems and they had to be closed down.
The hospital is governed by the steering committees elected by the community members since 1934.
The hospital has been trying hard to address the expectations of the community and to maintain its identity as a multi purpose social establishment.  The old people's home, that exists since the hospital was first established, keeps giving shelter to the needy oldies.  Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital offers treatment with its modern medicinal equipment to the patients in its internal diseases, chest and thoracic diseases, surgical, orthopaedics, urology, eyes and vision, ear-nose-throat, gynaecological diseases, children's diseases, dermatological diseases, psychiatry branches.  They have a poly clinic.  According to the year 2000 data available there are both in the 280-bed hospital and the 270-bed old people's home 38 specialists, 11 general practitioners, 1 bio-chemical specialist, 1 psychologist and 1 dietician.