Help human for a better life so that state has a better future, help human for a better life so that the world has a better future. Moving on from this belief, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey organizes simultaneous “health weeks” in Djibouti and Sudan. The Ministry of Health continues to bring hope to hopeless, health to sick and injured, and increase the friendship ties in 3 continents in 16 countries through 34 Health Week organizations.
Upon the visit of H.E. Ismail Omar Geulleh, President of Djibouti; Turkish and Djiboutian Ministers of Health Dr. Ahmet Demircan and Djama Elmi Okieh agreed to hold a health week in Djibouti. In this regard, the 3rd Turkey-Djibouti Joint Health Week is taking place between 9-17 March 2018 by the coordination and organization of the General Directorate of EU and Foreign Affairs. 19 health professionals are bringing healthcare to the people of Djibouti in the fields of cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, urology, ear-nose and throat, plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, ophthalmology, anesthesia and reanimation. Additionally, the Ministry of Health of Turkey donated 70 packages of medical assistance supplies for the Health Week.
During the Week, free of charge surgeries are performed in 4 different cities of Djibouti and trainings are conducted for Djiboutian health personnel for capacity building.
As a gift from the people of Turkey to their Djiboutian brothers and sisters, 5 fully equipped ambulances were delivered by the Director General of the EU and Foreign Affairs, Dr. Selami Kılıç and Ambassador of Turkey to Djibouti Sadi Altınok. During his speech in the handover ceremony Ambassador Kılıç conveyed the heartfelt regards of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Minister of Health Dr. Ahmet Demircan as well Turkish people and added that these activities aimed to improve the health and well-being of our Djiboutian brothers and sisters.
Minister of Health of Djibouti Djama Elmi Okieh expressed their pleasure of hosting Turkish delegation in his country and thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Health Dr. Demircan and Turkish people.
During the Health Week, over 1000 patients were provided with medical consultations, 119 patients were operated by Turkish surgeons. 38 Djiboutian health professionals also received on-site trainings.
On the occasion of 14-March Medicine Day and with the participation of Ambassador Said Altınok, Turkish doctors were honored with certificate of appreciation signed by the Djiboutian Minister of Health.
On the same days, the Ministry of Health of Turkey organized another Health Week in Sudan. During the Week, 100 children, who suffered cleft lip and palate, were operated and treated by Turkish plastic surgeons.
Turkish medical delegation consisted of doctors and surgeons from plastic and reconstructive surgery, ear-nose-throat and anesthesia specialties, working in the Ministry of Health and Bezmialem University. The identification of the patients who received treatment during the Health Week were identified by the Federal Islamic Medical Association. Assoc. Prof. Dr. İrfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador of Turkey to Sudan also visited the patients and Turkish delegation. Ambassador Neziroğlu highlighted that those health weeks helped to further increase the friendly ties between the two countries and added that similar activities were expected from the Ministry of Health in the coming period.
We would like to express our gratitude to our volunteer health ambassadors for their exceptional efforts on behalf of our country in Djibouti and Sudan, who were on such a blessed mission far away from their homeland on the Medicine Day to bring health to their brothers and sisters.