Ilham Aliyev familiarized himself with the restoration work at the Scientific Surgical Centre

The Academician Murtafa bay Topcubasov Scientific Surgical Centre of the Ministry of Health has opened after major refurbishment and reconstruction.

The ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva.

Minister of Health Oqtay Siraliyev reported to President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva that the path travelled by this centre, which has made an exceptional contribution to the training of highly-qualified staff in the sphere of surgery, is one of the most important stages in the development of our health care system. The building of the Clinical Experimental Medical Institute, which was built in 1971 and is now called the Scientific Surgical Centre, was in a poor condition as it had not been refurbished for a long time. Considering the importance of the centre for Baku and the country in general, this medical centre was overhauled and reconstructed based on orders and instructions from President Ilham Aliyev. The Scientific Surgical Centre has now become a medical institution that meets the most modern standards. This work was completed in 18 months. One part of the centre has six storeys and the other five storeys. A poster carrying the national leader Heydar Aliyev's quotation that "Health care is a dear and valuable sphere for us and necessary measures will be taken to develop it" has been installed in the foyer of the centre.

It was noted that the Surgical Centre, which meets world standards, has 240 beds. There are rooms for manipulation and doctors, wards, laboratories and pharmacies on every floor. Three lifts have been installed here. Now it is possible to carry out any surgery in the centre's policlinic, intensive care ward, general surgery section, liver and gall bladder surgery section, vein surgery section, gastrointestinal surgery section, endocrine surgery section, heart surgery, children's heart surgery section, cardiac surgery operating block and other operating theatres. The courtyard of the medical centre has been renovated and provided with a modern lighting system. A monument to Academician Mustafa bay Topcubasov has been installed here.

The head of state and his wife first familiarized themselves with the reception and policlinic departments on the first floor of the centre. It was noted that endoscopy and computer tomography rooms are operating on the first floor. The medical equipment installed here has been brought from Germany and meets the most modern standards. There are also radiography, ultrasound examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and blood transfusion rooms on this floor.

President Ilham Aliyev also closely familiarized himself with the cardiac surgery operating block on the sixth floor of the centre. The angiography room on this floor has a device produced by Siemens, one of the world's leading companies, which makes it possible to establish a quick and correct diagnosis. It is possible to perform heart surgery on adults and children in three operating theatres fitted up with equipment imported from Germany and Sweden. This floor also has a seven-bed cardiac intensive care ward. Children and adults will be provided with the most modern medical services here. The fact that a laboratory and a pharmacy are available at the cardiac surgery operating block will help save time.

As the head of state familiarized himself with the fifth floor, he was informed that the country's first children's heart surgery centre has been set up here. The wards are designed specially for children. All conditions are right for children to enjoy themselves and eat comfortably during examinations and treatment. From now on, children with heart problems will not need to undergo treatment and surgery abroad. The floor also has a heart surgery section and a 13-bed intensive care ward.

The gastrointestinal section, the endocrine surgery section and an operating block are located on the fourth floor of the Scientific Surgical Centre. It was reported that each of the six operating theatres here is fitted up with modern equipment.

The liver and gall bladder surgery section, the vein surgery section and the clinical-diagnostic laboratory are located on this floor. Administrative rooms are located on the second floor of the Scientific Surgery Centre. A stand showing photos of active members and academicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan in the field of medicine has been installed here.

It will be possible to hold various events in a 70-seat conference hall. This floor also has two-bed wards and a 10-bed dialysis room. The administrative rooms of the centre are also fitted up with all the necessary equipment.

While meeting with the personnel of the centre, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart again. The opening of the Scientific Surgical Centre after major refurbishment is a remarkable event. I just familiarized myself with the centre, and I see that all work is done at a very high level. Refurbishment work was done at a high level, and the most important thing is that the most up-to-date equipment has been installed here. This equipment is available in the leading scientific centres of the world. This shows that the reforms and work being carried in the sphere of health care in Azerbaijan meet international standards. I can even say that we can now talk about Azerbaijani standards, because there are various scientific centres in the world, and I can say that our centres – those refurbished in recent years or those which have just been built – are at the highest level: quality, comfort, the size of wards, conditions for patients and doctors and of course, the equipment. The equipment installed at the centre today represents the latest technology. We should try to buy such equipment anew from time to time, because technology does not stand still, technological progress is moving forward rapidly, and new modern equipment will be invented and created in a few years' time, and of course, we should benefit from it.

In general, I am very pleased with the work being carried out in the sphere of health care in Azerbaijan. We managed to achieve a serious breakthrough in this sphere in the space of a few years. I can say that we updated and modernized the material-technical base of the health care system in a short time, and the conditions existing in the most advanced scientific centres of the world are now available here. Along with that, we should pay attention to the training of doctors, and the Ministry of Health is carrying our great work in this sphere. Training courses are held in Azerbaijan and our doctors and specialists are sent abroad. This process should be permanent, because I want to say again that the health care system in the world is progressing very rapidly. We should try to use the most advanced technologies in Azerbaijan and take into account that Azerbaijan has no financial problems to solve this problem today.

It is natural that in previous years, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, our financial situation was very harsh. In the first years of our independence, we could not allocate as much funding as we wanted to this sphere. But today the situation is totally different. Today Azerbaijan has turned into a powerful and rich country and the main objective of our state is to solve social issues at the appropriate level. Among social issues, the development of the health care system is a priority. Today the most advanced technologies must be brought to Azerbaijan, our doctors must increase their professionalism from time to time and all health institutions established in our country should meet world standards – both in Baku and in regions. I am very glad that modern scientific centres, medical centres and diagnostic-treatment centres have been established in regions. We now see the wonderful results of this work and will see them in the future.

Once again, I congratulate you on this remarkable event. It is a pleasure to work at this centre, and wonderful conditions have been created for doctors. I am confident that you will be taking good care of patients, and thus, our citizens will be healthy. Health is more important than anything else. I want Azerbaijani citizens to be healthy, not to fall sick and to have timely checkups and our people to live a healthy and good life. I congratulate you once again.

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President Ilham Aliyev had a group photo taken with the personnel of the centre.