Geographic information analysis and health infrastructure

Enterprises seek for development and growth so as to increase their sales and profits. In order to come to a decision on how this development is going to be achieved they face an endless line of possible strategies, one of which is location. Location of the business affects its development and viability, concerning the cost, its efficiency and its use. Regarding the location of the centers of providing medical services despite the new technologies (like telemedicine ‐ which facilitates the reaction to a distant event), their location continue to be a distinctive advantage since immediate access and service is the objective target. Significant factors are the nature of the situations a facility has to face as well as the displacement time both in cases of diagnosis and in cases of remedies, which is important and in various cases decisive. Additionally to the best location, the best possible cooperation with specialized doctors and nursery personnel from the wider region is required. In this framework, Spatial Analysis and Geographical Information Systems are recruited to demonstrate how all the above issues can be answered under the complex environment a location‐allocation decision must be taken, by the authorities for the location‐allocation of health infrastructure.