Somalia opens first graduate health science school

By Nour Gelle Gedi and Gulsen Topcu

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Recep Tayyip Erdogan School of Health Services was inaugurated here Sunday as the country’s first graduate school of health sciences.

The Turkish president’s name was placed on the school as an indication for the support Turkey has for its establishment.

It was the first health institute the Turkish Health Ministry founded abroad, according to Turkish Ambassador to Mogadishu Olgan Bekar, who attended the ceremony.

Somali Interior Minister Abdurrahman Muhammed Huseyin, said the institution would train health personnel to serve Somalis and that it and other Turkish projects are the results of Erdogan's visit to Somalia in August 2011.

For its support for Somalia and projects there, he said Somalia would never forget Turkish contributions to his country.

Somalia lacks well-equipped health personnel, a fact acknowledged by school director Ikrim Simbaz, who said students would have theoretical and practical courses.

Initially, 300 students will undergo training.

The two-year program wil include nursing, childbirth and other health sciences courses and they will receive a nine-month Turkish language training prior to the program.