Did you know Minnesota, is home to the largest Somali-American population in the United States? Several of today’s Republic of Somalia’s government officials have received their education at the University of Minnesota. After experiencing the exceptional access to healthcare in ‘Medical Alley’, the local Somali-American community intends to bring similar access back to their native capital of Mogadishu, Somalia.
Throughout the Somali Civil War, the Somali health care system was largely destroyed. The current state of health care facilities is beneath human dignity; preventable diseases going untreated impact the communities overall ability to thrive. Since the restoration of the Republic of Somalia in 2011, the Republic of Somalia’s Ministry of Health is making strides to rebuild the broken healthcare system.
In October of 2015, The ‘Minnesota Association of African People with Disabilities’, a local nonprofit with strong connections in Somalia, sought MATTER’s help. As a result, the Somali Ministry of Health chose MATTER to supply the 60-bed public hospital with all the proper medical equipment necessary for a functioning hospital. This newly built hospital will be one of the first health care infrastructure projects since the restoration of the Republic of Somalia.
With little to no prior access to healthcare, the hospital is expected to impact over 200 patients daily.
MATTER is maximizing one of Minnesota’s largest resources, ‘Medical Alley’, by collaborating with local health care partners; Allina Health, Mayo Clinic, Park Nicollet, and HealthPartners to source hospital equipment and the essential medical supplies needed to fully furnish the ‘Bahrain Public General Hospital’ in Mogadishu.
This week, MATTER is shipping four 40-foot sea-containers, filled with medical equipment ranging from hospital beds to full x-ray rooms. These containers complete phase 1 of a multi-phase project to restore access to health care in Mogadishu, Somalia.
MATTER, in partnership with Minnesota-based health organizations, is playing a pivotal role in the success of expanding access to healthcare in Mogadishu, Somalia.
