The Refik Saydam Hygiene Center was established in 1928 as an affiliated body of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.  In the beginning the Institution was made up of four departments: Bacteriology, Chemical Analysis, Pharmacology, and Immunology.  To address new health problems, the scope of the Institute's activities were broadened to include incorporation of various laboratories including a hematology lab, a pesticide lab, a mycology lab, and a modernized drug control lab with state-of-the-art devices. By 1982, the School of Public Health joined the Institute.