Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Turkish and Somali doctors jointly conducted a successful open-heart surgery operation for the first time to a 74 years old man at Recep Sayyip Erdogan Hospital(Ex-Digfeer) in the capital Mogadishu on March 11, 2024, doctors said Wednesday.

“Prof. Dr. Mehmet KIZILAY and his team comprising of 7 person from Turkey’s research and training hospital, Dr. Siyami Ersek in Istanbul and the Somali doctor for the surgery of the cardiology at this hospital,Dr. Abdinafic Mohamud Hussein carried out the operation”, Hospital Director, Prof. Dr. Mevlüt KARATAŞ said.

Dr. Mevlüt said that they joined three veins of the patient’s heart together which they were closed earlier, but functional, saying the patient’s health is good and under the hospital care unit.

He added that the team will conducting such operations at the hospital, train and share experience with other Somali doctors in this field during their stay in Somalia.

Abdullahi Mohamed Jama, the patient himself expressed his feeling after the successful operation which he still remained in bed, saying that he was better. “My plan was to go Malaysia for the surgery of my heart, but stayed due to financial circumstances. I got health service here at this hospital in my country now, thank you”, Jama said, wearing operation theater clothes.

Recep Sayyip Erdogan Hospital treated about three million patients and make surgery operation to 50’000 patients and produced 250 doctors since its foundation in 2013 while 150 other doctors are being trained at moment according to the hospital administration.

This unique operation comes as the relations between Turkey and Somalia reached new levels of cooperation, signing maritime security and economic deal, oil and gas and military agreements while Turkey has the largest embassy in Mogadishu and trained 6’000 of the Somali National Army.