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Stockholm, December 5, 2009 — 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 Hargeysa University and 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 Organization (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.
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 Hargeysa 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 Hargeysa.
Source: Qarannews, December 3, 2009
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