Niger’s Health Minister inspects Niger-Türkiye Friendship Hospital amid rising demand for maternal care
On a recent inspection tour, Colonel-major Garba Hakimi, Niger’s Minister of Public Health and Hygiene, visited the Niger-Türkiye Friendship Hospital in Niamey. The visit aimed to evaluate the facility’s operational capacity, assess staff working conditions, and identify immediate solutions to challenges faced by healthcare workers.
During the tour, the minister toured key departments including the emergency ward, mammography unit, operating theaters, neonatal intensive care, embryology labs, and obstetrics and gynecology services. Following the walkthrough, the minister received a detailed briefing on the hospital’s achievements, ongoing projects, and areas requiring urgent attention—before engaging directly with healthcare staff to hear their concerns.
Commitment to maternal and child health in Niger
The hospital, established by Decree No. 2018-767/PRN/MSP on November 2, 2018, and operational since November 2019, was designed to deliver high-quality maternal and pediatric care, support medical research, and contribute to health promotion. The facility currently operates with 45 functional beds, 10 functional incubators in the neonatal unit, advanced diagnostic equipment, a kangaroo care unit, and resources tailored to meet growing healthcare demands.
Manou Gagara, Director of Nursing Services, highlighted the hospital’s recent milestones: over 66,182 outpatient consultations were conducted between January 2025 and January 2026, with 484 hospitalizations recorded in January 2026 alone. The team also managed 212 deliveries, including 147 C-sections, and 28 neonatal admissions. The workforce includes 188 Nigerien staff and 26 Turkish cooperants, covering all major medical specialties.
He also announced that new medical devices and supplies had been procured and would soon be deployed to enhance service delivery. However, he noted ongoing challenges such as lack of documentation systems, non-functional mammography analysis due to missing software, and shortages of critical reagents.
Addressing critical gaps in diagnostic capacity
Staff from various departments shared firsthand accounts of operational hurdles, emphasizing the need for improved diagnostic tools and workflow efficiency. These testimonials provided real-world context to the minister’s visit, reinforcing the urgency of addressing equipment and resource gaps.
Minister commends health partnership and calls for sustained collaboration
At the conclusion of the visit, Colonel-major Garba Hakimi praised the strong bilateral cooperation between Niger and Türkiye, acknowledging Turkey’s sustained support in strengthening Niger’s healthcare system. He congratulated hospital staff on their outstanding performance, noting the hospital’s strong health outcome indicators.
The minister confirmed that immediate solutions had been identified for all reported challenges and expressed full satisfaction with the hospital’s progress. He urged continued teamwork between Nigerian and Turkish healthcare professionals, emphasizing the importance of trust, collaboration, and shared accountability to maintain and improve service quality.
« We have addressed every issue raised today. I call on all staff to sustain this momentum and uphold a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect. Together, we can ensure this hospital continues to serve the people of Niger with excellence and compassion, » he concluded.
