The Turkish delegation, led by Dr Şuayip Birinci, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Türkiye, visited Malta and held a bilateral meeting with Ian Borg, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health. This was followed by meetings and visits to various healthcare facilities and entities, during which the delegation was also accompanied by Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Active Ageing Deo Debattista. The aim was for both countries to share their experiences and explore further opportunities for cooperation.
Discussions focused on the digital transformation, healthcare infrastructure and community services. For Malta, these exchanges offer an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of Türkiye’s experience in developing digital systems and healthcare facilities, as the country prepares for major projects in this sector.
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg emphasised how international cooperation can help Malta strengthen its services and develop its healthcare infrastructure.
“The strong relations between Malta and Türkiye provide a solid foundation for us to continue sharing knowledge and exploring opportunities for cooperation in healthcare. As we look towards important projects for the future of care in our country, we want to learn from other countries’ experiences, including in infrastructure and digital systems. Our aim is to translate this knowledge into better services for patients and greater support for our professionals,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
The programme included visits to Mater Dei Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital, where the delegation was briefed on hospital services. The delegation also visited the Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre, with a focus on the care and specialised services provided in the community.
Parliamentary Secretary Deo Debattista explained that these visits enabled an exchange of experience on using technology and bringing care closer to people. “We visited various healthcare facilities in Malta, with a particular focus on the use of information technology and community healthcare. We have much in common, much to learn from one another and much to offer each other. Both countries will continue sharing their knowledge and experiences to further strengthen the services they provide,” said the Parliamentary Secretary.
The programme also included visits to the Malta Medicines Authority and COMED Therapeutics at the Malta Life Sciences Park, as well as Torrent’s pharmaceutical plant in Ħal Far. These offered an insight into Malta’s work in medicines regulation, the pharmaceutical industry and innovative research, including the development of technologies designed to deliver treatments into cells, with potential applications in tackling cancer and other diseases.
For his part, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Malta, Barkın Kayaoğlu, described the meetings as positive and highlighted the opportunities the two countries can offer each other. “There are several areas in which our two countries complement one another. Türkiye has extensive experience in healthcare infrastructure and wishes to share it with Malta, a country we consider a friend. At the same time, Malta has the advantage of its connectivity, which can also benefit Türkiye,” the ambassador concluded.
