A new health centre providing free medical services opened last week in the remote village of Elhur in Mudug region.
Local authorities and residents say this brings medical services to the population of around 2,000 people for the first time.
The hospital, built at a cost of around $62,000, has seven wards and five doctors and medical staff. Mohamed Abdi Yusuf, the director of Deh Relief Somalia, said the money was contributed by the aid organization’s board members and staff.
Abdullahi Mohamud Jimale brought his 70-year old mother to the hospital. He said it was a much needed facility.
Residents used to have to take patients, including pregnant women, to Harardhere 75 km away or Adado 300km away.
“Some pregnant women used to die of blood loss on the road to these towns,” said Yusuf. “The women don’t need to travel to delivertheir babies anymore,” he added.
More than six women have delivered their children in the hospital in its first week, Radio Ergo’s local reporter said.
The centre also provides general medical services free of charge. Jimale said it used to cost between $500-$1,000 to transport the sick to other towns, but now they can seek attention in Elhur. “For the patients who couldn’t find such huge sums of money they used to just suffer in the villages,” he said. “The residents are really happy to get free medical services in their villageat last.”
