On Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced that a medical convoy had provided examinations to 1,674 Somali citizens and performed 436 surgeries across various specialities at De Martino General Hospital in Mogadishu.
Landing in the Somali capital on September 20, the Egyptian team offered diverse medical services covering fields such as general surgery, digestive systems, oncology, orthopaedics, cardiology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia, and critical care, according to the ministry.
According to Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, spokesperson for the ministry, the Egyptian team also provided training to Somali medical personnel in multiple specialities. He highlighted that the medical services extended to Somali citizens included initiatives from several Egyptian presidential health programs, focusing on early detection of obesity, anaemia, and dwarfism.
“Every Somali child who visited the outpatient clinics was examined and received the necessary medication and nutritional supplements,” Abdel-Ghaffar further explained.
During their visit, the Egyptian team explored future cooperation with Somali health authorities. Discussions covered training Somali medical personnel in Egypt and the potential establishment of an Egyptian medical centre in Somalia.
The team also deliberated on setting up an Egyptian pharmacy that could supply medications to the Somali market and neighbouring regions, as well as facilitating the treatment of Somali patients in Egyptian hospitals.
The dispatch of the medical convoy corresponds with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to bolster Somalia’s healthcare system.
Somali Health Minister Mariam Mohamed, Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed El-Baz, and Egyptian Consul General Karim Hisham welcomed the convoy upon its arrival at Aden Abdullah International Airport.
Egypt and Somalia have tightened their relations over the past few years. In 2022, they signed numerous memorandums of understanding that focused on health, higher education, media, and cultural and religious cooperation.
July saw Egypt launching its first direct flights between Cairo and Mogadishu, aiming to strengthen its ties with the Horn of Africa. A month later, Egypt announced the opening of a new embassy in the Somali capital.
Further cementing their cooperation, Egypt dispatched military aid to Somalia to enhance the capabilities of the Somali army, as confirmed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf on Monday.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
