Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital in Somalia serves as a regional health care hub, treating patients from both Somalia and neighboring countries. The hospital’s advanced medical infrastructure, specialized staff, and educational programs strengthen Somalia’s health care system while reinforcing strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Somalia.
Türkiye’s health care investments in Africa, initially framed as humanitarian initiatives, have evolved into a broader strategic partnership model, significantly expanding their influence on regional health care delivery.
Deputy Hospital Director Mohamed Hussein Ashraf emphasized the institution’s importance to Somalia’s health care system on the occasion of World Health Day, which is held on April 7.
Ashraf underlined that the hospital functions as both an educational and research institution, saying, “Health care services that were previously unavailable in Somalia have been introduced through the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital.”
He added that the hospital is not merely a treatment center but also a training hub, “Thousands of Somali doctors have been trained here, and many of them are now serving within this very hospital.”
Providing services to approximately 1,600 patients daily, Ashraf noted that the hospital’s 377-bed capacity represents a substantial scale under Somalia’s conditions. “This hospital serves not only the Somali population but also the wider region. In this regard, it is an invaluable asset for the entire region,” he said.
Ashraf highlighted that the hospital’s role extends beyond current health care services, contributing to the broader development of national health infrastructure. He said, “Within the next five years, we are working with the Somali government to identify and develop 6 to 7 major hospitals, using the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital as a foundational model.”
He also stressed the need for other countries to adopt similar approaches, noting that cooperation models focused beyond narrow national interests, such as Türkiye’s approach in Somalia, can significantly contribute to regional development.
A medical team led by Urology Department head Khalid Ali Mohamed, along with Dr. Mohamed Mohamud Yusuf, successfully performed Somalia’s first partial nephrectomy surgery at the hospital.
This organ-preserving surgical technique for kidney tumors removes only the affected portion of the kidney rather than the entire organ, marking a significant advancement in Somalia’s surgical capabilities.
Patient Ali Gele Abdi, who underwent the procedure, shared that he had previously consulted 3 different hospitals in Somalia, where he had been advised that his kidney would need to be completely removed. After receiving treatment at the hospital in Mogadishu, he said, “I am very happy. I feel both of my kidneys functioning the same, and I no longer have the problem I used to experience.”
Abdi expressed gratitude to the hospital management and health care staff for the successful treatment.
Ophthalmology specialist Dr. Yavuz Selim Dayıoğlu highlighted the regional significance of eye care services provided at the hospital.
“This is not only a health care center serving Somalia but also neighboring countries. It is a training and research hospital where complex cases from across the region are referred and treated,” he said.
Dayıoğlu added that advanced surgical procedures are routinely performed, including cataract surgeries using the phaco method, strabismus operations, tear duct surgeries, and glaucoma procedures, particularly important in Somalia, where glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness.
Opened in 2015 in Mogadishu, the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital continues to play a critical role in Somalia’s health care system.
As one of Türkiye’s largest overseas health care investments, the hospital, with a capacity exceeding 200 beds, serves not only the Somali population but also patients from surrounding countries.
Equipped with modern facilities ranging from emergency services and intensive care units to operating theaters and maternity wards, the hospital provides comprehensive health care services.
Amid decades of civil conflict and infrastructure challenges that weakened Somalia’s health care system, the institution has delivered substantial support while also standing out for its educational contributions.
Each year, hundreds of Somali doctors, nurses and health care professionals receive training at the hospital, gaining practical experience alongside experts from Türkiye.
