Somaliland president visits children receiving life-saving heart surgeries in Israel
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro on Wednesday met Somaliland children receiving life-saving heart treatment in Israel, spotlighting a humanitarian partnership that has connected Somaliland patients with advanced cardiac care for more than two decades. The visit took place at the Save a Child’s Heart Center in Holon, where the Somaliland leader met nine Somaliland children currently undergoing treatment at Wolfson Medical Center as part of a program that provides specialized heart care to children from around the world. The visit comes as eight Somaliland children recently underwent successful heart surgeries through the program, adding to a growing number of Somaliland patients who have received treatment in Israel over the years.
The office said the visit underscored the importance of humanitarian and health cooperation between Somaliland and Israel, particularly in expanding access to advanced medical treatment for children suffering from serious heart conditions. According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, one of the earliest examples of cooperation between Somaliland and the Save a Child’s Heart program dates back to 2004. In a statement, the Somaliland presidency expressed gratitude to the management, surgeons and medical staff of Save a Child’s Heart for providing life-saving treatment to Somaliland children and other patients who require specialized cardiac care unavailable in their home countries.
As Somaliland-Israel relations continue to expand, healthcare cooperation has emerged as one of the most visible areas of engagement, with medical programs helping provide life-saving treatment to Somaliland children while strengthening humanitarian links between the two sides. Following the request, Israeli officials connected the family with Save a Child’s Heart, enabling the child to travel to Israel for treatment. According to the Somaliland presidency, the president also met the children and their parents, offering prayers for their recovery and wishing them a full return to health.
Save a Child’s Heart, based at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, is internationally known for providing life-saving cardiac procedures to children from countries where access to advanced heart care is limited. The visit forms part of President Irro’s ongoing state visit to Israel, which has included diplomatic, economic and security engagements aimed at strengthening ties between Somaliland and Israel. President Irro, who is on an official visit to Israel, toured the facility alongside members of his delegation and was briefed by doctors and officials overseeing the treatment of Somaliland children receiving cardiac care.
Israeli officials described the case as the beginning of a humanitarian partnership that has since helped additional Somaliland children receive specialized cardiac treatment and heart surgery in Israel. For many of the families involved, the partnership extends beyond diplomacy and politics, offering children born with serious heart conditions an opportunity to receive specialized treatment and a chance for a healthier future. The ministry said a Somaliland representative in Ethiopia approached the Israeli embassy seeking medical assistance for his son, who was suffering from a heart condition.
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