An Egyptian medical convoy examined 1,674 Somali citizens through seven outpatient clinics at De Martino General Hospital in Mogadishu and performed 436 surgeries in various specialities, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced on Saturday.
The team, which arrived in the Somali capital on 20 September, provided medical services in general surgery, digestive system, oncology, orthopaedics, cardiology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia, and critical cases, the ministry said.
Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the health ministry, said the Egyptian team provided training services to Somali medical staff in various specialities.
Abdel-Ghaffar also noted that the team provided Somali citizens with services included in several Egyptian presidential medical initiatives, such as early detection of obesity, anaemia, and dwarfism.
He added that all Somali children who visited the outpatient clinics were examined and offered appropriate medication and nutritional supplements.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian team discussed potential cooperation with Somali health officials, including training Somali medical staff in Egypt and establishing an Egyptian medical centre in Somalia.
Furthermore, according to the statement, the Egyptian team discussed the possibility of setting up an Egyptian pharmacy to supply medicines to the Somali market and neighbouring countries and facilitating the treatment of Somali patients in Egyptian hospitals.
The statement also pointed out that the medical convoy was sent to implement President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to provide all means of support to the health system in Somalia.
Somali Health Minister Mariam Mohamed, Egyptian Ambassador to Mogadishu Mohamed El-Baz, and the Egyptian Consul General Karim Hisham received the Egyptian team upon arrival at Aden Abdullah International Airport.
In recent years, Egypt and Somalia have strengthened ties, signing multiple memorandums of understanding in 2022 focused on health, higher education, media and cultural and religious cooperation.
In July, Egypt launched its first direct flights between Cairo and Mogadishu to enhance relations with the Horn of Africa, and, in August, Egypt announced the opening of a new Egyptian embassy headquarters in the Somali capital.
Moreover, Egypt has sent military aid to Somalia to support and strengthen the capabilities of the Somali army, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf on Monday.
Source: AhramOnline
