Who is Kemal Memişoğlu, appointed as the Minister of Health?

According to the decision published in the Official Gazette, Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, the Istanbul Provincial Health Director, has been appointed as the Minister of Health, replacing Fahrettin Koca.

FIRST STATEMENT FROM KEMAL MEMİŞOĞLU

After the appointment decision, Memişoğlu made a statement on his social media account, saying, "I have been appointed as the 53rd Minister of Health of the Republic of Turkey with the appreciation of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I express my gratitude to our President for deeming me worthy of this honorable duty for our country and nation. I will work with all my might to fulfill the heavy responsibility that my duty requires. May Allah not embarrass me. With respect and regards."

HIS NAME BECAME A SUBJECT OF CURIOSITY

Kemal Memişoğlu, who was appointed as the Minister of Health to replace Fahrettin Koca, became one of the most searched topics on the internet after the decision published in the Official Gazette. So who is Kemal Memişoğlu? Has Memişoğlu held any previous positions? Here is the answer to the question that is being wondered.

PROF. DR. KEMAL MEMİŞOĞLU

The new Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, was born in Trabzon in 1966 and is originally from Rize. He graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1990 and received his General Surgery specialization from Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital in 1995. Between 1996 and 1998, Memişoğlu worked as a General Surgery Specialist at SSK Konya Ereğli Hospital, PTT Hospital, and Bursa Military Hospital.

Memişoğlu, who was in the Liver and Gastrointestinal Transplantation unit at the University of Miami between 1999 and 2000, worked as a Senior Assistant in the Department of General Surgery at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine between 2000 and 2002. Memişoğlu was appointed as the Chief Physician of PTT Hospital at the end of 2002 and became an Associate Professor of General Surgery in 2008.

Memişoğlu, who started his Health Management Master's program at Beykent University in 2007 and completed it in 2009, served as the Chief Physician of Istanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital between 2002 and 2012. In November 2012, he was appointed as the Medical Services Director of the Istanbul Anatolian Northern Region Public Hospitals Union and became the Secretary General of the same Union in May 2014.

Prof. Dr. Memişoğlu was appointed as a Professor of General Surgery at Istanbul Health Sciences University Fatih Sultan Mehmet Health Application and Research Center in 2016. Since October 2016, he has been serving as the Istanbul Provincial Health Director. He is married and has 3 children.