Dear Ministers, Ambassador, Press Members, and Esteemed Guests,
Welcome to the opening ceremony of Shifa Hospital, whose construction has just been completed as the most contemporary hospital in Somalia, under the East Africa Health Program, which has been implemented by Doctors Worldwide for the last six months.
Doctors Worldwide which is a non-govermental organization accredited by United Nations and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, provided medical aid and relief since year 2000 to more than 30 countries worldwide without any access or means to basic medical care.
In August of 2011 we, on behalf of Doctors Worldwide, accompanied Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his visit to refugee camps and hospitals in Somalia. Following the visit, Doctors Worldwide started its East Africa Health Program, firstly donating 50 tons of dry food and 800.000 dollars worth of medicine. In addition to this, in the course of October 2011, 27 volunteer medical staff of Doctors Worldwide visited Somalia and provided medical service in Benadir Hospital. Within one month 3.000 medical examinations and 65 surgeries were performed by our team. On the other hand, during Eid-al-Adha Turkish people donated 5.050 shares of Qurbanis which were sent to six different regions of Somalia and distributed to 15.150 beneficiaries.
In November 2011, Doctors Worldwide has opened two Nutrition Centers located in the regions of Hodan and Lafole. The purpose of these centers is to provide medical treatment and therapeutic food to the malnutrition population in these areas. With the ongoing project, so far 10.000 individuals were given medical treatment and 12.800 boxes of baby formula were distributed.
Now, we are here for the opening ceremony of Mogadishu Shifa hospital which was established with the sponsorship of Medical Park Health Group and equipped with the most recent technological devices. Doctors Worldwide’s 60-bed Shifa hospital will serve to Somalian people, with a capacity of 500 outpatient clinics, 20 births and 10 surgical operations on a daily basis. 13 health personnel including doctors and nurses who will be working in Mogadishu Shifa Hospital were brought to Istanbul by Doctors Worldwide and were given two months of training in Bezmialem University Hospital. Hence we are proud to have established a bridge of unity between Turkey and Somalia and also a bridge of welfare between Istanbul and Mogadishu.
As the chairman of the board, I promise that Doctors Worldwide will always be with Somalian people in providing medical relief that they will need, as it had been the case so far. I respectfully greet all of you and Thank You.
PROF.DR. M. IHSAN KARAMAN
Chairman, Doctors Worldwide
