Colonel-major Garba Hakimi, the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, undertook an official visit to the Niger-Türkiye Friendship Hospital on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. The primary objectives of this visit were to personally inspect the facility’s infrastructure and equipment, evaluate the working conditions of the healthcare personnel, and engage in direct discussions with staff to understand their challenges and identify appropriate solutions.
Upon his arrival, the Minister toured several critical departments within the hospital. This included the emergency room, the mammography unit, the operating theaters, the neonatal intensive care unit, the embryology and oocyte retrieval laboratories, and the gynecology and obstetrics department. Following this comprehensive tour, the ministerial delegation received a presentation detailing the hospital’s history, its achievements, current needs, and identified deficiencies, after which the Minister engaged in a direct dialogue with the hospital’s employees.
During the presentation, Mr. Manou Gagara, the Director of Care, highlighted that the hospital was formally established by Decree N°2018-767/PRN/MSP on November 2, 2018, commencing its operations in November 2019. Its core mission is to deliver high-quality care and services to women and children, while also contributing to medical research, training initiatives, and health promotion. He further noted that the hospital is equipped with 45 operational beds, 10 functional incubators in the neonatology department, a range of state-of-the-art equipment, a kangaroo mother care unit, and other resources tailored to meet the increasing demand for specialized medical services.
Mr. Manou Gagara also informed the delegation that various essential medical devices and supplies have been ordered and will soon be made available to the staff to enhance their capacity to fulfill their duties effectively. He elaborated that the hospital’s workforce comprises 188 Nigerien professionals and 26 Turkish cooperants, all specialized in different fields, collectively ensuring comprehensive consultation services. He provided statistics, stating, “A total of 66,182 outpatient consultations were recorded with a 100% success rate from January 2025 to January 2026. For inpatient services, 484 admissions were registered in January 2026, alongside 212 deliveries, of which 147 were C-sections, and 28 admissions to the neonatology department.”
Following this detailed overview, the Director of Care addressed several pressing challenges. These included, among others, a scarcity of documentation, the non-operational status of the mammography service due to the absence of an X-ray analysis unit, and shortages of specific reagents. Additionally, several specialists took the opportunity to share their daily realities and the obstacles they face with the Minister and his delegation.
Concluding his visit, Colonel-major Garba Hakimi expressed profound gratitude for the commitment shown by the Turkish authorities in bolstering Niger’s health sector development. He also commended the hospital staff for their exceptional work, noting the impressive performance of the hospital’s health indicators. Regarding the challenges highlighted, the Minister confirmed that thorough discussions had taken place, and effective solutions were being implemented. He conveyed his satisfaction with the observations made and the commendable results achieved by the hospital.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health lauded the productive partnership between the two nations and urged the staff to maintain their dedication. “We have identified solutions for all the difficulties brought to light. I call upon the entire administration to continue fostering an environment of trust and collaboration between the Turkish and Nigerien personnel to ensure even greater achievements within this hospital,” he affirmed.
