Sunday January 26, 2025
Somali and Italian surgeons collaborate in a groundbreaking moment at Kalkaal Hospital in Mogadishu during Somalia’s first-ever open-heart surgeries on two children, Zakaria and Maida.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia celebrated a landmark achievement in its healthcare system on Saturday by completing its first-ever open-heart surgeries, performed at Kalkaal Hospital in Mogadishu. The life-saving procedures carried out on two children with congenital heart conditions, Zakaria and Maida, are a historic milestone that brought critical care closer to Somali families.
The surgeries, performed by Italian specialists in collaboration with Somali doctors, were hailed by Somali authorities as a ‘historic result.’
The operations were the result of a unique collaboration between Somali and Italian medical teams, coordinated by the Milan-based Ameb Association and social activist Edna Moallin Abdirahman in partnership with the Hormuud Salaam Foundation. Over recent months, the program has enabled eight Somali children with severe heart conditions to receive life-saving surgeries in Italy. Financial contributions from the Lombardy Region and logistical support from the Italian Embassy have been crucial to its success.
The Italian medical team, led by Prof. Stefano Marianeschi, head of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Niguarda Hospital, worked alongside local Somali doctors, including Dr. Mohamed Abdulkadir and Dr. Sisay Bekele. The surgeries on Zakaria and Maida marked a life-changing moment for the children and their families.
Abdullahi Nur Osman, chairman of the Hormuud Salaam Foundation, expressed pride in the initiative’s success. ‘This moment brings hope to our people,’ he said. ‘Families will no longer have to endure the financial and emotional strain of travelling abroad for critical procedures.’
In the past, Somali families seeking advanced cardiac care spent between $6,000 and $7,000 on travel, visas, and medical fees in countries like India and Turkey. Dr. Galad Shiil Duale, head of Kalkaal Hospital, stressed the cost-saving benefits. “We aim to provide the same high-quality care locally at a fraction of the cost,” he said.
Somali authorities praised the collaboration, emphasizing the importance of local capacity-building and the potential to expand access to advanced medical care.
