Growing with the vision to become the health hub of Western Black Sea region, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) has implemented another significant investment to strengthen its health infrastructure. A new service floor to the Oral and Dental Health Hospital, a part of the university, was inaugurated with a ceremony.
The opening ceremony, held at İbni Sina Campus, was attended by the Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu, Zonguldak Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Kapağan, BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer; President of the Zonguldak Bar Association, Attorney Türker Kapkaç, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Senior Colonel Barış Cücen, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Şenol Hakan Kutoğlu, Prof. Dr. Bekir Hakan Bakkal, and Prof. Dr. Servet Karasu, Provincial Health Director Specialist Dr. Mustafa Özkan Gün, Secretary General Prof. Dr. Zehra Safi Öz, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry Prof. Dr. Baran Can Sağlam, Director of the Oral and Dental Health Application and Research Center Prof. Dr. Murat Koçak, along with local protocol members and academic and administrative staff.
A Significant Contribution to Regional Needs: Strengthening Tertiary Healthcare in the Western Black Sea Region
The Faculty of Dentistry and the Oral and Dental Health Hospital of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University stand out as one of the most important tertiary healthcare centers in the field of oral and dental health in the Western Black Sea Region, serving primarily Zonguldak as well as Bartın, Karabük, and surrounding provinces. With this investment, implemented in response to increasing patient demand and evolving needs, both the capacity of healthcare services has been expanded and the educational infrastructure has been enhanced in line with modern requirements. Since 2014, the hospital has been providing services in an indoor area of 8,145 square meters, and with the completion of the additional floor, it has been transformed into a modern healthcare complex of approximately 9,000 square meters.
A Modern Transformation with the 4th and 5th Floors
Within the scope of the project, the 4th floor has been transformed into a modern integrated clinic equipped with state-of-the-art devices, significantly increasing patient admission and treatment capacity. The 5th floor, on the other hand, has enabled administrative units to operate in a more functional and contemporary structure while allowing the expansion of service areas. In addition, the renovated conference hall has been designed to provide a more qualified educational environment for students and residents. All elevators in the building have been renewed, and with modern climate control systems, both patient and staff comfort have been elevated to a higher level.
Serving 145,000 Patients Annually with an Aim of Increased Capacity
Currently providing services to an average of 145,000 patients annually with 8 clinics and 129 units, the hospital aims to increase its treatment capacity by 20% with this new investment. By reducing appointment waiting times and improving service quality, access to healthcare services will become faster and more efficient, particularly for Zonguldak, Bartın, and Karabük, as well as the entire Western Black Sea Region. At the same time, undergraduate and specialty training programs carried out in 8 departments and 7 clinics will be elevated to a more advanced level through the strengthened infrastructure.
Rector Özölçer: “This New Service Reflects Our Strong Vision for Quality and Accessibility in Healthcare”
Making an evaluation within the scope of the opening ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer emphasized the university’s strong progress in the field of healthcare and stated:
“Today, we are not only inaugurating an additional service floor; we are also taking a significant step forward in advancing our university’s vision of quality, accessibility, and sustainability in healthcare. Since its establishment, our Faculty of Dentistry and Hospital have served as exemplary institutions, both in training highly qualified dentists and in providing high-standard healthcare services to our society.
The increasing demand and the rise in the number of our students have made it necessary to expand our current capacity. Through investments in the 4th and 5th floors, we aim to reach more patients, accelerate treatment processes, and provide our students with much more qualified educational environments. In addition, with the modernization of our climate control infrastructure, we are elevating patient and staff comfort to the highest level. As a healthcare hub of the Western Black Sea Region, our university will continue to provide high-quality and accessible healthcare services across all its health units with determination.
On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, and the esteemed Ministry of Health family for their continuous support; to the Chairman of the Council of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and the YÖK community. I also extend my thanks to our Governor, Mr. Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu, for his valuable support to our university and for his gracious presence with us at every opportunity. I wholeheartedly thank all our academic and administrative staff, technical teams, and everyone who contributed to the realization of this meaningful investment. This work stands as one of the finest examples of collective effort, strong vision, and university-city integration. As we have achieved great success together in previous projects, I sincerely hope that we will continue to implement visionary initiatives that will move our university forward in every field in the coming period. I wish this service to be beneficial for our university, our city, and our region.”
Governor Hacıbektaşoğlu: “This Investment is a Valuable Contribution to Our Region’s Healthcare Infrastructure”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Governor of Zonguldak, Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu, stated:
“The healthcare investments made by Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University represent a major gain not only for our province but also for the entire Western Black Sea Region. This modern additional service floor, which we inaugurate today, will significantly contribute to enabling our citizens to access faster, higher-quality, and more comfortable healthcare services.
At the same time, the opportunity for our young physicians trained here to receive education in better-equipped environments is one of the most valuable investments in the future. The strong development momentum of our university makes us proud. I would like to thank all academic and administrative staff, especially our Rector, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, who contributed to the realization of this meaningful project. I wish this valuable investment to be beneficial for our university, our city, and our region.”
A Strengthening Brand in Healthcare: BEUN Oral and Dental Health Hospital
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, city dignitaries toured the newly opened service areas and received information from officials. With its modern infrastructure, advanced technological equipment, and strong academic staff, BEUN Oral and Dental Health Hospital has further strengthened its position as one of the leading healthcare centers in the Western Black Sea Region with this new investment.
