STOCKHOLM, 3 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — A meeting between Somaliland Universities and Addis Cardiac Hospital has taken place at Grand Hotel, Stockholm Sweden.
Addis Cardiac Hospital was represented by Dr Fikru Maru, the initiator and head of the Hospital. From Somaliland Universities was represented by Dr Hussein A Bulhan, President of Hargeisa University, Dr Saeed Ahmed Hassan, President of Golis University.
At the meeting was also present Mr Eidarus Sh Adan , Somaliland Representative Sweden, who took the initiative for the meeting. Addis Cardiac Hospital is East Africa’s first hospital for cardiovascular diseases and was opened june 2007.
The hospital is a private Company and the result of a co-financed investment by Fikmar Medical, Swedfund, Sweden’s risk capital company specialised in investments in developing countries, Octupus Medical and Patrik Hjalmarsson AB.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) cardiovascular diseases have reached almost epidemic proportions in Africa in recent years and they are now almost as common a cause of death as HIV and AIDS. In Ethiopia and countries in Horn of Africa, many people have died owing to the lack of the necessary facilities for medical treatment.
[ad#Google Adsense (336×280)]
The inability to pay to go abroad for treatment is another contributory factor. Dr Hussein A Bulhan informed Dr Maru about the medical education in Somaliland. Mr Bulhan briefed about the Hargeisa University and the need for cooperation with regard to medical education and training.
Dr Maru explained the work of the Cardiac Hospital in Addis and offered to help Somaliland medical student to visit the Cardiac Hospital in Addis for training and practice. Dr Maru is planning to Visit Somaliland in the beginning of next year and he will see what he can do to help Somaliland healthcare with respect to heart diseases and heart operations.
Mr Eidarus Sh Adan told Dr Maru that we are very glad to hear the willingness to help Somaliland with advanced healthcare and it is a very good opportunity for Somaliland medical students to visit Addis and train on Addis Cardiac Hospital which is the only Hospital of its kind in East Africa.
This is an excellent opportunity for knowledge transfer to Africa and Dr. Maru is a good example and role model for Africans in Sweden in terms of knowledge transfer in order to combat poverty and disease in Africa, says Eidarus Sh Adan. The meeting ended in a good spirit.
Dr. Maru and Dr. Bulhan have already set plans for initiating the collaboration between their institutions and to meet in the near future either in Addis Ababa or Hargeisa.
Source: Qarannews
