Minister Koca was welcomed by Egyptian Minister of Health Khalid Abdulgaffar and accompanying officials at Cairo International Airport.
Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca went to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, to discuss the coordination of health aid sent to Gaza and transfer of cancer patients in Gaza to Türkiye.
Minister Koca and his counterpart will go to Nasser Cancer Institute Hospital and visit patients.
Last week, Health Minister Koca conducted telephone diplomacy with Health Ministers of Israel and Egypt for the transfer of Gaza patients through the Rafah Border Crossing.
As a result of these initiatives, the Health Coordination Team was formed, with contact persons from Türkiye, Egypt and Israel.
Türkiye, which sent the health aid ship carrying approximately 500 tons of equipment, including medicines, medical devices, 8 field hospitals, 20 ambulances and medical supplies, to Egypt for the people of Gaza, had previously sent health supplies and medical personnel to the region with the Presidential plane.
Minister Koca went to Cairo and met with Egyptian Minister of Health Halid Abdulgaffar to discuss the coordination of health aid sent to Gaza and transfer of cancer patients in Gaza to Türkiye.
The two Ministers visited the Nasser Cancer Institute Hospital to comfort the injured brought from Gaza.
Minister Koca received information about the health conditions of the injured and gave toys to the children.
Koca, who received information about the condition of a woman injured in her face, suggested transfer of the woman to Türkiye for treatment.
The injured people in the hospital thanked the Turkish minister for the consolation and support.
After visiting the injured Gazans at Nasser Research Institute Hospital, Minister Koca and his Egyptian counterpart held a joint press conference.
Stating that they worked in close cooperation and solidarity with his Egyptian counterpart Abdulgaffar, both at the personal and technical team levels, Koca gave the following information:
“We had many phone and video conference meetings. Finally, we held a 1-hour video conference meeting the previous night. Our technical delegations have been working together for about a month. We just visited Gazan patients who are currently under treatment in Cairo. Now, we will go to the hospital in El-Arish to visit the patients there and continue our contacts.
In the first stage, it is planned to transfer cancer patients, especially children, from the Rafah Border Crossing to Sheikh Zuwayd and Al-Arish hospitals. Treatment of these patients will be managed jointly by the healthcare personnel from Türkiye and their Egyptian colleagues. In the second stage, it is planned to bring medically fit patients to Türkiye by ambulance planes.”
“We will leave the difficult days behind with strong solidarity”
Stating that the ongoing diplomacy activities for the transfer of patients to the Rafah Border Crossing are conducted by the health coordination team formed by officials from Türkiye, Egypt and Israel, Minister Koca added:
“I would like to thank Mr. Minister on behalf of myself, my government and the brotherly people of Türkiye for the constructive cooperation he has shown in this process. I hope we will leave these difficult days behind with strong solidarity. On the other hand, in the bilateral meeting we held in the morning, we agreed on exchange of knowledge and experience, and close cooperation in all areas of health. I invited Mr. Minister and his team to visit our country in the shortest possible time, and expressed my pleasure in hosting them in Türkiye.”
“We are ready whenever the need arises”
Concerning the locations where field hospitals will be established, Koca said:
“The tripartite coordination team is working on this. The main goal is to establish these field hospitals as a priority in Gaza, but if necessary, we want to establish them in the region close to the Rafah Border Crossing. The coordination team is also evaluating this option, and we are ready to proceed as soon as the area is determined.”
Egyptian Minister of Health Abdulgaffar thanked Türkiye for the medical support it provided to Gaza
Expressing that Koca's visit to Egypt is an indication of the cooperation they have maintained since the beginning of the events in the Gaza Strip, Minister Abdulgaffar said:
“I would like to thank the Turkish State, its government and its people for the medical support and assistance they provided to save the lives of our Palestinian sisters and brothers. As a matter of fact, Türkiye comes on top of the countries that communicates with Egypt to send medical aid to the Gaza Strip. There are also Turkish doctors providing health services to the injured in hospitals in Arish, Egypt.”