Refik Saydam Hıfzıssıhha Merkezi Başkanlığı (1928-2017)

Abstract

The purpose of our study is to put forward the historical progress (and to reveal the contribution to policies concerning public health) of the institution, which was founded with the name of “Central Institute of Hygiene and Public Health” (after various changes it was named as “Refik Saydam Institute of Hygiene and Public Health”) by a 17 May 1928 dated bill of law in Ankara/Yenişehir, as a subordinate of Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance. In order to do this in the best way, firstly, in the first chapter, the concept of preventive health and the preventive health legacy that the Institute took over will be examined. In the second chapter; family, education, vocational career and personality of Dr. Refik Saydam, who is the architect of Turkish Republic’s Health Organization and the founder of Refik Saydam Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, will be discussed. In the third chapter; the foundation and motives behind the foundation of the Institute and name changes, construction process and task modifications of the Institute will be mentioned. In the fourth chapter; the foundation, deployment, hardware and duties of Chemical Analysis, Bacteriology, Pharmacodynamics, Immunobiology Sections, which are deemed important be cause of being the first sections, will be studied. In the fifth chapter; the foundation, duties, historical stages of Hygiene School, which began to operate as a subordinate of the Institute in 1936, will be discussed. Foreign aids for the School and important activities will also be studied in this section. In the sixth chapter; services and innovations of the Institute in a historical perspective until 1990s, production activities and reorganizations of the Institute so as to perform these activities better until 1990s will be mentioned. In the seventh chapter (this is the last chapter), which is named as “The Institute from 1990s until closedown”; information about deployment and settlement plan, organizational development, duties of important units, personnel, services (in a historical perspective), important activities and problems of the Institute will be given. Finally, closedown of the Institute will be mentioned.