Somalia to Turn De Martino Hospital into Teaching and Research Centre

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia is moving to strengthen medical training and health research through new agreements between the Ministry of Health and Social Care and Somali National University, including plans to transform De Martino Hospital into a teaching and research facility.

The two agreements are intended to improve healthcare services, develop medical professionals and strengthen the country’s capacity to conduct health research.

Under the first agreement, De Martino Hospital will be developed into a teaching and research hospital, providing a setting for medical students and healthcare professionals to receive practical training while supporting research to improve healthcare delivery.

The second agreement will establish an Executive Master in Health programme for employees of the federal Ministry of Health and Social Care and health departments in federal member states. The programme will focus on strengthening professional knowledge, leadership and management skills in the health sector.

The initiative comes as Somalia seeks to improve the quality of healthcare by building the capacity of both its medical workforce and the institutions responsible for managing health services.

The agreements also aim to deepen cooperation between the ministry and Somali National University, linking university-based training and research more closely with the needs of the national health system.

Italy was commended for its support for healthcare development, education and institutional capacity-building in Somalia.

The ministry did not provide a timeline for the hospital’s transformation or details on when the executive master’s programme would begin.