Institution of chief physician in the Ottoman State

It is possible to say that there was a chief physician who was interested in the health affairs of the ruler in each state and managed the Health Organization of the state throughout the history. As seen in the previous states, it would be appropriate to state that there is a physician who is concerned with the health of the Sultan in the Ottoman Empire since its establishment. In order to have the title of hekimbaşılık, which is the highest authority among the officials of the ilmiye class of the palace, being a Muslim is the first condition required without exception. Althought it is the main rule that the chief physicians are selected from the madrasa teachers of the Suleymaniye Medical Madrasa, sometimes there may be irregular appointments. The main duty of the chief physicians is to protect the health of the sultan and to treat him in case of illness. Chief physicians also had administrative duties apart from this. The most important of these duties was to deal with and supervise the appointment and dismissal procedures of the officials working under him in the palace. Another duty of physicians is the appointment and control of health workers of the darüşşifas. It is also under responsibility of the physician to ensure that the free medics in Istanbul can be tested and get a work license. Since the formation of the medical staff needed by the army is an extremely important for the health of the military forces, which are the backbone of the state, the chief physician was also conducting a meticulous work in this area. Evaluating and examining the pension or exemption applications of government officials and providing the necessary health report was also one of the issues for which the chief physician was responsible. For the chief physicians who served in this manner until the 19th century, the next process ended on 17 April 1850 with the decree of Abdülmecid who ordered the abolition of the institution of the chief physician. From this date on, all the duties undertaken by the chief of medicine alone until that day were carried out by two separate officials named Mekteb-i Tıbbiye Nazırı and Ser-etıbba-i Şehriyârî.