Spatial Impacts of Health System Transformation in Turkey: A Case Study in Mersin City

Abstract

This study investigates the impacts of the transformation of health system on the spatial structure of health facilities in Mersin City, Turkey. The research is motivated around some questions about practical implications of the health reform and the new legislation in Turkey; how health facilities are restructured, hostipal formations, location criteria, spatial distibution of health facilities. In addition, this research investigates the distribution of health facilities in the city is in accordance with their types and scale, location changes in time, occupancy rates, accessibility and their relation to the surrounding urban activities. In the case study the spatial distribution and location changes of health facilities and their relation to urban master plans are elaborated. The findings of this study conducted in Mersin City may contribute to further planning studies on identification of health facility location criteria. such as accessibility, and scale. In addition positive and negative impacts of health facility location changes and new investments can be assessed through a set of criteria provided by this research. Research findings reveal that increasing size of hospital capacity resulted in the relocation of hospitals from central place to peripheral parts of the city.

Keywords

• health system
• urban planning
• spatial analysis