The Nigerien Minister of Public Health and Hygiene, Colonel-major Garba Hakimi, conducted an on-site assessment of the Niger-Türkiye Friendship Hospital on February 25, 2026. The visit aimed to evaluate infrastructure conditions, assess staff working conditions, and engage directly with healthcare workers to identify challenges and implement tailored solutions.
Comprehensive tour of critical hospital departments
Upon arrival, the minister toured several essential hospital departments, including the emergency unit, mammography service, operating theaters, neonatal intensive care, embryology and oocyte sampling laboratories, and the gynecology-obstetrics wing. Following this inspection, the ministerial delegation received a detailed presentation covering the hospital’s history, achievements, ongoing needs, and existing gaps before engaging in discussions with medical staff.
Hospital achievements and operational capacity
M. Manou Gagara, Director of Nursing, outlined that the hospital—established under Decree No. 2018-767/PRN/MSP on November 2, 2018—commenced operations in November 2019 with a mandate to deliver high-quality care to women and children, contribute to medical research and training, and promote public health initiatives. He highlighted the facility’s operational capacity, which includes:
- 45 fully operational beds
- 10 functional incubators in the neonatology unit
- State-of-the-art medical equipment
- A kangaroo mother care unit
- Specialized resources tailored to growing healthcare demands
Gagara also noted the recent procurement of essential equipment and supplies, which will be deployed to enhance staff efficiency. The hospital’s workforce comprises 188 Nigerien professionals and 26 Turkish cooperants, covering all medical specialties. In 2025, the facility recorded 66,182 outpatient consultations, with a 100% success rate from January 2025 to January 2026. January 2026 alone saw 484 hospitalizations, including 212 deliveries—147 of which were cesarean sections—along with 28 admissions to the neonatology unit.
Addressing operational challenges
During the meeting, Gagara identified key operational challenges, such as the lack of documentation systems, the absence of a radiology unit to process mammography results, and shortages of critical reagents. Staff members further elaborated on these issues, providing firsthand accounts of their daily obstacles to the minister and his delegation.
Minister’s assessment and commitments
Colonel-major Garba Hakimi commended the Turkish authorities for their sustained support in strengthening Niger’s healthcare sector. He praised the hospital’s staff for their outstanding performance, noting the facility’s strong health outcome indicators. Addressing the identified challenges, the minister confirmed that constructive solutions were collaboratively developed during the visit.
The health minister emphasized the importance of the Niger-Türkiye partnership, urging all staff to maintain their current momentum. He remarked: “We have addressed every issue raised during this visit. I call on all administrators to foster an environment of mutual trust between Nigerian and Turkish colleagues, ensuring seamless collaboration to achieve even greater results within this hospital.”
