HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari met with her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Demircan and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in health related areas between Qatar and Turkey.
In a joint news conference in Ankara, al-Kuwari cited the profound ties between Qatar and the Turkish Republic, as well as the mutual interest in promoting and developing bilateral cooperation in all domains, particularly in health-related fields.
Al-Kuwari noted that the memorandum of understanding in the areas of health and medical sciences signed last December in Trabzon in the presence of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promotes co-operation and exchange of expertise in the field of public health.
Al-Kuwari praised Turkey's health system and asserted relations between the two countries relied on strong and mutual values. She also underlined the importance of maximising mutual benefits from such expertise on both sides, citing the recent inauguration of a Turkish hospital in Qatar.
Turkish health minister Dr Demircan stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of health between the two countries. He suggested establishing a working group to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in the areas of health system support through the exchange of expertise, and the promotion of medical tourism in Turkey, as well as boosting cooperation in pharmaceutical and drugs industries, especially in the automation of medicines and medical devices monitoring and tracking systems. 
The working group will also discuss cooperation in health projects carried out by public and private sectors, and cooperation in emergency crisis response project, as well as providing training opportunities for Qatari health personnel, and the development of humanitarian aid projects to countries in need. Cooperation will also include working on the genome project, which began in Qatar and the Turkish Republic by exchanging technical teams and information in this area.
During her visit to Turkey, the minister toured a number of healthcare institutions and hospitals for an update on the Turkish experience in the health field.
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