Besim Ömer: Founder of the first modern maternity hospital and midwifery education in Turkey

The First Maternity Hospital in Turkey was founded in 1892, next to the Medical School in Demirkapi, Istanbul. It was inaugurated by Besim Ömer who went to France in 1887 to study, was very impressed with the practices there and when he returned home, he made great efforts to open the first maternity hospital. Besim Ömer emphasized how vital the first maternity hospital was for pregnant women, newborns, doctors, and midwives. Aiming to minimize maternal and infant mortality and to train informed midwives, these new maternity homes form the basis of today's maternity clinics.