The town of Burco (also written as 'Burao'), in Somaliland, has the largest public hospital in the area and serves at least 350,000 people.
Last year, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical teams joined Ministry of Health staff at this eight-ward hospital to start providing high-quality, free medical services. Now, Somali staff work alongside MSF staff from as far away as China and Norway so that patients with medical emergencies receive quality health care.
Trained surgeons are available 24 hours a day at Burco Hospital, whether for trauma or obstetric operations. Many patients choose to visit local healers before coming to the hospital, which can cause dangerous delays or even additional medical problems.