Fifty-five Somali doctors participated the training that took place at Benadir University between 3-6 July. Voluntary physicians, including AID vice presidents Prof. Dr. Murat Elevli and Op. Dr. Şükran Erdem, travelled to Mogadishu for the training seminars.

In his opening speech Elevli said that they were extremely honored and pleased to be in the brotherly and friendly nation of Somalia and stated that there were hundreds of Somali students attending universities across Turkey. He announced that some of the 587 Somali university students were studying medicine and added they would contribute greatly to the development of Somalia if they return to their country after graduation. Elevli underlined that they were hoping to expand solidarity and cooperation in health education as well as in other fields and went on to summarize activities of the AID. We will be honored to hold a bigger medical congress in Turkey in the near future and to host Somali doctors, AID vice president added.

Neonatologist Assoc. Prof. Derya Büyükkayhan, child endocrinologist Dr. Korcan Demir, child cardiologist Assoc. Prof. Abdullah Erdem, general pediatrician Prof. Dr. Murat Elevli, and anesthesiology and reanimation expert Prof. Dr. Hasan Koçoğlu delivered 18 seminars during the four-day long training.

The AID vice presidents Elevli and Erdem, accompanied by Benadir University Rector Prof. Dr. Abdi Dalmar paid a visit to Somali Health Minister Dr. Marian Qasim in her office following the training program. The group, which visited a field hospital set up by the health ministry and various projects by NGOs, are planning to carry on with health trainings in Somalia.