Thursday April 21, 2022
MOGADISHU (Xinhua) -- Somalia's health officials on Tuesday hailed the Chinese Embassy for supporting the revamping of the entire operation theater of Banadir Hospital, located in the capital of Mogadishu.
Fartum Sharif Mohamed, director of the hospital said during the completion ceremony that three major surgery rooms, four manual operation beds, operating lamps and other equipment had also been installed during the upgrade that took four months to complete.
"Chinese built this hospital earlier and they are redoubling their efforts to modernize and support the hospital, we thank the Chinese for the continued support," Mohamed said.
According to Mohamed, with the resumption of operation capabilities in February, the hospital now has the capacity to receive 200 pregnant mothers a month. This has offered a silver lining to the cloud of deteriorating drought and COVID-19 pandemic for women and children in Somalia.
Fawziya Abikar Nur, Minister of Health and Human Services of Somalia noted that the upgraded hospital's theater will help save lives, adding that it was a reaffirmation of flourishing China-Somalia bilateral relations.
Banadir Hospital was built by China in the 1970s and was expanded in the mid-1980s. It is a living and telling example of the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.
Fei Shengchao, the Chinese ambassador to Somalia, said Beijing supported the construction of Banadir hospital in the 1970s and it has continuously supported its development.
He disclosed that in a month's time, the Training Course for Health Practitioners from Somalia will be held between the National Health Commission of China and the Ministry of Health and Human Service of Somalia, noting that doctors and nurses from top hospitals in China will share their expertise and experience on mothers and children's health with their colleagues from Banadir hospital and other health facilities in Mogadishu.
"I believe that better facility and stronger expertise will help Somali medical professionals meet the health challenges for mothers and children in the months and years ahead," continued the ambassador.
The hospital, which is part of China implemented projects in Somalia such as the National Theatre, the Mogadishu Stadium and Sport Village, is one of the biggest public hospitals in the country.