04-JAN-B-4

 

THE CLEARANCE WITH SOMALILANDHERE AND THERE,

WITH THE “PRESIDENT” OFFICIALLY WLECOMING US,

AND THE “AMBASSADOR” RECEIVING US IN HIS OFFICE,

AND THE “FOREIGN MINISTER” WELCOMING US TO HER HOSPITAL

 

 

Kevin, get ready to roll. All systems go. Hargeis has approved the trip last night. Will not be a bad idea to swim at Berbera's famous Batallale Beach after a good work-day at the hospital. Please contact ASAP.

Best

SN 

 

From:        kevin bergman <kbergman@yahoo.com>

To:          <msdgwg@gwumc.edu>, <jreyes60@gwu.edu>, <jaym@gwu.edu>

Date:        1/18/04 1:01PM

Subject:     Fwd: Re: Re Somaliland

 

fyi, from the foreign minister regarding use of her

hospital during our stay in somaliland.

best,

kevin

 

‑‑‑ Edna ADAN ISMAEL <ednahospital@hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: "Edna ADAN ISMAEL" <ednahospital@hotmail.com>

> To: kbergman@yahoo.com

> CC: rodaali556@hotmail.com

> Subject: Re: Re Somaliland

> Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 11:52:23 +0000

>

 

Dear Kevin,

 

Thanks for your message.

 

Since I am out of the country at the present moment, I

have requested Ambassador Noor to communicate with the

Ministry of Health in Somaliland for your mission.

 

Since we are also keen that you should see some out

‑patient patients who need treatment, we are happy to

offer you our out‑patient facility to examine

patients. Regarding operations, there are some

patients who might prfer to be operated at our

hospital and we are ready to offer facilities for

those. I am sure you understand that our hospital is

also for the under‑priviledged but since we do not

have government funding, we have to charge something

for cost‑recovery. The rest, I personally subsidise by

contributing my United Nations pension to the

hospital.

 

Should I still be out of the country, please contact

my deputy director for technical matters at my

hospital, Miss Roda Ali. Telephone numbers of the

hospital are if you call from Hargeisa: 55999

soltelco, or 38014 STC. I am also copying this message

to her so that she knows what's up.

 

We also had some problem with offering you free

accomodation when we feel that the Government might be

better placed for this.

 

Please let us know when you are due in Somaliland so

that we may contact you for possible collaboration.

Regards,

 

Edna Adan Ismail

 

 

 

>From: kevin bergman

>To: Edna ADAN ISMAEL

>CC: jreyes60@gwu.edu, jaym@gwu.edu

>Subject: Re: Re Somaliland

>Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 05:07:37 ‑0800 (PST)

>

>dear edna ada ismail,

>sorry for the delay in replying. i have had some

email

>issues which have now been resolved.

>first of all, i wanted to thank you for your kind

>reply and gracious offers and i am encouraged by your

 

>willingness to work with a small delegation such as

is

>ours.

>

>following up on your email, and previous discussions

>with ambassador noor and frances muwonge, i met with

>ambassador noor here in washington and we discussed

>various options for our mission to somaliland.

>although the trip is with short notice, we are

hopeful

>that it can be achieved.

>

>while we would be honored to come to your maternity

>hospital, the driving force behind our surgical

>mission is to help the poor and disadvantaged members

 

>of your community who need surgery. for this reason,

>the leader of our mission, dr. glenn geelhoed, and

the

>other members of our team prefer to focus upon public

 

>hospital settings in somaliland where our services

>would be rendered free of charge. having said this,

we

>would be delighted to come to your hospital and learn

 

>from and possibly teach members of your staff during

>our short stay in somaliland.

>

>we are in contact with saad noor regarding our

>proposed itinerary and he is sure to be coordinating

>with you in short order. we are also awaiting the

>return of dr. geelhoed from another medical mission

>abroad later this week to shore up our schedule.

>

>it is our hope to bring whatever supplies and

>materials that we are able, and we therefore humbly

>ask for your advise regarding medicines and medical

>items which are most needed in your country.

>

>i look forward to hearing from you soon and very much

 

>look forward to meeting you one day soon.

>

>best regards,

>

>kevin bergman

>

>‑‑‑ Edna ADAN ISMAEL wrote:

>

>Dear Mr. Bergman,

>Thank you very much for your message and appreciate

>your offer to send a team to Somaliland.

>Your discussions with Ambassador Saad and Krilla have

 

>also been appreciated.

>Regarding the visit to Somaliland, we welcome this

but

>need to have a few details and arrangements in place

>before you set out:

>1. I am sure that you have been informed that the

>hospital that I have built is a non‑profit Charity

>that has to cover its expenses. For this reason, and

>in order to maintain the high standard of care that

we

>offer our patients, we have to charge patients a

small

>nominal fee and cannot admit patients, or have them

>operated in our hospital totally free of charge. I am

 

>also aware that the government hospital also charges

a

>small fee even though the standards of these

hospitals

>are much lower than ours where we have a strong team

>of well trained nursing and medical staff. Because we

 

>are a teaching hospital, we welcome opprtunities for

>visiting teams like the one you propose as long as we

 

>find the fiancial means to cover part of the expenses

 

>of the operations you propose to carry out.

>2. A second option would be for your team to see

>patients and treat them on out‑patient basis if you

>are ready to provide them with the necessary

>prescriptions that might be needed.

>3. Third option would be for us to arrange for your

>team to carry out some operations on the

understanding

>that you will bring your sutures, dressings,

>instruments etc.. There will be the food and hospital

 

>stay to add as patients will need to be kept in

>hospital for a certain length of time and will need

>nursing care. We usually charge patients US$150 to

>cover the cost of the operation and anaesthesia, and

a

>further $3 a day for food and nursing. Can we find

any

>sponsors to cover these needs ?

>4. In the past, we have had surgical teams from the

UK

>and they do operations and much teaching to our

staff.

>They also stay at our hospital residential quarters

so

>that they are on hand 24 hours a day while here and

>this also helps them pay less than they would have

>spent had they stayed in an hotel

>

>Please let me know your reaction.

>

>Regards,

>

>Edna Ada Ismail,

>  Foreign Minister of Somaliland and also Founder of

>the Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital

>

 

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