Hormuud Salaam Foundation sends two Somali children to Italy for heart surgery

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Hormuud Salaam Foundation has sent two Somali children with congenital heart defects to Milan for specialized medical treatment and surgeries not available in Somalia.

The children, Bashir Abdirahman and Hamze Ali, will undergo heart surgeries at a hospital in Milan. The foundation, the humanitarian arm of Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank, is covering the travel and living expenses for the children and their families. The regional government of Lombardy, Italy, is funding the surgical procedures.

The children and their parents were seen off at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Thursday by Italy’s acting ambassador to Somalia and Abdullahi Nur Osman, chairman of the Hormuud Salaam Foundation, doctors, and family members.

“This mission is part of a broader medical aid program in partnership with Milan-based Adna Foundation, Lombardy’s regional government, and Niguarda Hospital,” Osman said. “Since early 2024, this is the fourth group of Somali children sent to Italy for heart treatment.”

Osman said 14 children have previously received successful treatment in Italy and returned to Somalia healthier, with another child expected to travel soon.

Dr. Abdullahi Abiib, director of Siman Hospital in Mogadishu, said the children will receive free medical monitoring for six months to a year in his hospital as part of the ongoing program, which began in 2017.

Mirko Di Benedetto, second secretary at the Italian Embassy in Somalia, wished the children a speedy recovery and praised the Hormuud Salaam foundation for facilitating the care.

The children’s mothers, Ikran Mohamed Adan and Anab Mohamed Jama, expressed gratitude to the foundation, partner organizations, and the Italian Embassy.

The Hormuud Salaam Foundation provides humanitarian aid and overseas medical treatment for vulnerable Somali children with serious health conditions.

GAROWE ONLINE