Hiiraan Online
Saturday November 4, 2017
Somalis gather to search for survivors in destroyed buildings at the scene of a blast in Mogadishu, Somalia on Oct. 14. (Farah Abdi Warsameh / The Associated Press)
Mogadishu (HOL) - Injured victims from the October 14 truck bombing have been transferred from the UAE to the MP Shah Referal Hospital in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
Raj Mohan, a medical officer, said that United Arab Emirates has pledged to settle hospital bills of the victims in MP Shah Hospital.
"The victims who are in different conditions are having medical treatment here, their hospital bills have sponsored by the government of UAE," Mohan said.
Last month, a massive truck explosion at Zobe intersection killed close to 400 people and wounded another 600.
On Saturday, a plane carrying 14 people who were critically injured in the blast landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Some of the victims who are now undergoing treatment at MP Shah Hospital have thanked the United Arab Emirates government for the medical support.
"I am recovering well, I was airlifted for further treatment to Nairobi. I thank the federal government of Somalia and the United Arab Emirates for paying my hospital bills,” said Abdi Ali Mustafa who spoke to local media in Nairobi.
Hakima Khaliif, whose brother was injured in the blast said well-wishers and the Somali business community Nairobi also paid part of the hospital bill.
“Somali community and traders here have donated money to the victims who have been brought to this hospital,” said Khaliif.
Another victim who was in need of further testing has been moved to Kenyatta Hospital by well-wishers, according to Khaliif.
Last month, Kenyan government airlifted 11 tonnes of medical supplies to Mogadishu for the victims of the bomb blast, according to Kenya’s Foreign Ministry.
"This is one of the biggest attack that has ever happened in the world in the recent times and well continues to monitor to make sure that whatever support the people of Somalia might need will be provided by us and the international community,” Amina Mohamed, Kenya Foreign minister during the loading of the medical supplies in Nairobi.
In Nairobi's 'Little Mogadishu', thousands of residents turned up a week after the blast to participate in blood donation exercise.
No group has yet officially claimed the responsibility for the attack although the Somali government has blamed Alshabaab for the attack.