Puntland Vice President Abdihakim Abdullahi Omar has revealed that the Turkish government pledged to build a new large hospital in Puntland.
Speaking in a Conference held by Puntland non-state actors’ Association in Garowe, Mr Abdihakim Amay reiterated on the new government’s wider tasks, adding that they will work on the essential needs of the state such as launching a new free education system.
‘’ The government will improve on the health sector, so that our people won’t need to go abroad for treatment. The Turkish government is keen to build a hospital in Puntland’’, said the Vice President who never gave out further details about this.
The new hospital is expected to be built in the state’s capital of Garowe, says Vice President.
In 2011, about 20 Turkish doctors visited Puntland and carried out free health care services including Surgeries, they treated almost 1500 patients from across the region.
Turkish government completed two months ago Construction of a 400-bed training hospital in Mogadishu. Turkey Ambassador Mr Kani Torun said that the construction costed about $35 million.
Turkey’s involvement in Somalia emerged in 2011 when Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan paid a rare visit to Mogadishu, becoming the first non-African leader to visit the war-torn city for two decades.
It reopened its embassy in November 2011, becoming the only country outside the region to have a functioning mission in the impoverished war-torn country.
Since then Turkey has provided $400 million in aid to the country building hospitals, schools and other structures and educating students in Turkey with scholarships.
Ayub Abdirahman
Horseed Media
