Skip to content
Invest HatayInvest Hatayby Burç Consulting

Laboratory & Imaging Center Investment

As Hatay's rebuilt hospital network expands, an independent diagnostic laboratory and imaging center can serve both referring physicians and patients seeking faster access than public facility queues allow.

A medical imaging room with diagnostic equipment

Following the February 2023 earthquakes, Hatay's public hospital network was largely rebuilt from scratch, with nine new state hospitals commissioned across the province. This expanded network of referring physicians, combined with typical wait times for imaging and lab work at public facilities, creates demand for an independent diagnostic center offering faster turnaround for both patients and referring doctors.

What Project Types Can Be Considered?

  • Independent clinical laboratory (blood work, pathology)
  • Medical imaging center (MRI, CT, ultrasound)
  • Combined laboratory and imaging diagnostic center
  • Mobile diagnostic services partnered with clinics

Which Areas Should Be Considered?

Antakya, near the new city hospital, is the primary location given referral volume. İskenderun offers a second location serving its own hospital catchment area.

Licensing and Permit Process

  • License application to the Provincial Directorate of Health
  • Radiation safety permits for imaging equipment
  • Laboratory accreditation requirements
  • Workplace opening and operating permit

Incentive and Support Elements

Region 6 incentives apply to diagnostic facility investments; medical equipment imports may also qualify for customs duty exemptions under the investment incentive certificate.

Explore our Investment Incentive Consulting service

Points to Keep in Mind

Building referral relationships with private clinics and physicians before opening is critical, since a diagnostic center's revenue depends heavily on a steady stream of physician referrals rather than walk-in demand alone.

Sources

From the official data

Health Infrastructure: Current Capacity and the Public Investment Programme

According to the Ministry of Health's Health Statistics Yearbook 2024, Hatay has 21 hospitals and 4,023 hospital beds, or 25.8 beds per 10,000 people (Türkiye: 31.3). In the 2026 Investment Programme, health has 8 projects and TRY 23.0 billion; the two large items are the 1,000-bed Hatay City Hospital and the 600-bed İskenderun State Hospital.

IndicatorValueYearSource
Number of hospitals (Türkiye: 1,562)212024[1]
Hospital beds · per 10,000 (Türkiye: 31.3)4,023 · 25.82024[1]
Intensive-care beds · per 10,000 (Türkiye: 5.7)633 · 4.12024[1]
Share of qualified beds (Türkiye: 83.4%)86.6%2024[1]
Physicians · per 100,000 (Türkiye: 258)2,539 · 1632024[1]
Specialists · per 100,000 (Türkiye: 125)1,244 · 802024[1]
Dentists · per 100,000 (Türkiye: 59)544 · 352024[1]
Population per family-medicine unit (Türkiye: 2,970)2,9202024[1]
Hatay City Hospital (1,000 beds, 225,000 m²)TRY 15.8 billion · 2024–20282026[2]
İskenderun State Hospital (600 beds, 131,960 m²; spent: TRY 3.2 billion)TRY 6.7 billion · 2023–20262026[2]
Health sector total (number of projects)8 · TRY 23.0 billion2026[2]

What does this data mean for an investor?

Bed density (25.8) is about 82% of the national average (31.3); applying the national ratio to Hatay's population would mean about 4,890 beds, a gap of about 867 beds (pure arithmetic). Physician density lags more clearly: 163 physicians per 100,000 people (Türkiye 258), 80 specialists (Türkiye 125) and 35 dentists (Türkiye 59). The share of qualified beds, at 86.6%, is above the national 83.4%.

The two hospitals in the programme add a gross 1,600 beds (TRY 22.5 billion), equal to about 40% of the 2024 bed count (4,023). The sources do not say whether the new beds replace existing buildings, so the net increase may be smaller. For the İskenderun hospital 47% of the cost has been spent and completion is foreseen in 2026; the City Hospital is on a 2024–2028 timetable and its 2026 allocation is only 13% of its cost.

What it means for an investor: while public bed capacity grows, the ratio of physicians and specialists to population is below the national level, which suggests that a private investment decision will hinge on recruiting physicians (specialists, dentists) as much as on the building (interpretation). Whether there is a capacity gap in outpatient care, imaging, physiotherapy or dental care should be tested separately with district-level local data.

Limitation: Yearbook data are for 2024 (population at 31.12.2024) and may not fully reflect post-earthquake changes in buildings and beds. They cover all sectors (public, university, private); per-100,000 ratios are our own calculation (physicians ÷ registered population). The tables are at province level; district-level physician/bed data are not in this compilation. Completion dates are programme projections.

Pages related to this data

Sources

  1. [1] Ministry of Health, Health Statistics Yearbook 2024 (Tables 7.20 and 10.12) (data period: 2024)
  2. [2] Hatay Governorship Provincial Planning and Coordination Directorate, Hatay 2026 Investment Programme (data period: 2026)

Figures come from official sources; interpretations are Invest Hatay's own and are not investment advice.

Frequently asked questions about laboratory & imaging center investment

Through direct outreach to private clinics and specialists; we help you build these connections.

Related Investment Opportunities

Healthcare InvestmentsDental Health Center InvestmentMedical Center & Polyclinic Investment

Let's shape your laboratory & imaging center investment together

Tell us your service mix, target location and budget, and we'll map out a plan tailored to you.

Get Free ConsultationMessage on WhatsApp