Qatar based doctors on surgical mission saving lives in Somalia

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a surgical mission in Somalia to help up to 200 patients.

A local team of surgeons from Doha has travelled to the Somali Capital Mogadishu to perform 200 operations at one of the city’s main hospitals.

The mission is the second of its kind to be launched by QRCS, at a cost of QR 336,150. The doctors will work out of the ‘De Martini’ general hospital in Mogadishu. Aside from the actual operations they will also carry out initial examinations, pre- and post-procedure care, and issue medical prescriptions free of charge.

“So far, 80 major surgeries have been performed (thyroidectomy, laparotomy, cholecystectomy, amputation, abdominal hernia repair, removal of abdominal tumours, hemorrhoidectomy, urinary fistula surgery, breast cancer surgery, reconstructive burn surgery, removal of benign tumours, varicocelectomy, and C-section),” according to a statement from QRCS.

The ongoing mission will cover critical cases at the hospital, Dr. Abdul Razak Yousef, Director of the ‘De Martini’ General Hospital, said.

The poor health care system in Somalia is one of the biggest problems facing the country today. Somalis have been struggling with violence and conflict which has devastated the country for over three decades.

More than half of the population have no access to any health services. Moreover, the country lacks qualified doctors and the medics providing care in local hospitals are untrained to conduct surgical operations of any kind.

For that reason, doctors and medical professionals in Qatar were sent by QRCS to Somalia in a bid to help people in urgent need of healthcare and emergency surgeries.

QRCS aims to leave behind a legacy from its humanitarian trip through training the hospital’s medical staff and engaging them in the operating room. By doing so, more qualified doctors and specialists will be ready to serve their community.

This latest mission by the charity mainly aims to serve the medical needs of newly displaced people and those affected by recent conflicts located in Mogadishu and the Benaadir Region.

QRCS has been conducting health projects in Somalia for more than a decade now. Previously it helped carry out operations in several medical centers in the country including Afgooye General Hospital and Multidrug-Resistant TB Centre.

Follow Doha News on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube