UPDATE 2 - Turkish, Egyptian health ministers discuss aid for Gaza, transfer of cancer patients to Türkiye

UPDATES WITH TURKISH HEALTH MINISTER'S CHILDREN HOSPITAL VISIT

By Burcu Calik Gocumlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca met his Egyptian counterpart Khaled Abdel Ghaffar in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss aid supply to Gaza and the transfer of cancer patients to Türkiye.

Koca arrived in the Egyptian capital earlier in the day and was received by Abdel Ghaffar and other officials.

As part of his trip, Koca visited the Nasr Institute Hospital to see the wounded people brought from Gaza and was briefed about their health conditions.

Both ministers chatted with patients and the wounded people and conveyed their get-well wishes.

Koca also received information about the condition of a woman wounded on her face and suggested her treatment in Türkiye.

Separately, the Turkish health minister visited children transferred from Gaza to Cairo for ongoing cancer treatment at the Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357.

He engaged in one-on-one conversations with children and families, distributed toys, and received health updates from doctors.

Last week, Koca held phone calls with his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts for the transfer of patients in the besieged Palestinian enclave through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

A coordination team was thus formed, with contact people from Türkiye, Egypt and Israel.

Türkiye has delivered tons of aid equipment, including medicine, medical devices, ambulances and medical supplies, for the people of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is dire due to the ongoing Israeli assault since the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.