Ilham Aliyev’s speech at the opening of the National Neurosurgical Hospital after major overhaul

- I wish you happy upcoming holidays. At the same time, on the eve of the New Year holidays, we are celebrating the opening of the renovated neurosurgical hospital. It produces an excellent impression. The hospital was not in good condition, was outdated and needed renovating. Now it meets the highest standards – both the equipment and repair. So it is possible to provide qualified medical services here. This makes me very happy because I believe that every hospital in our country should have perfect conditions. We are committed to this, and the new hospitals built not only in Baku but also in all our districts, regions and cities are at this level.

These are already Azerbaijani healthcare standards. Regardless of the city and region, all Azerbaijani citizens must be provided with qualified medical services. Previously we did not have enough resources to do this. The equipment acquired in previous years became outdated and unusable. But today Azerbaijan is a strong state, we have a strong economy, and social issues are in the foreground for us. And health issues, of course, have a special place. I am very glad that a number of hospitals in Baku have been beautifully renovated and put into operation in recent years. We can say that all of our specialized medical centers are already at this level. This work will be continued in the coming years. There are still hospitals in need of repairs. We know that and this work will be consistently carried out.

I wish you every success. I hope you will provide patients with qualified service. Of course, a hospital, above all, is a medical facility for patients, but it is also a workplace for doctors. And doctors should work in such conditions. Doctors are doing a lot. I appreciate their work. I want our doctors to improve their knowledge. This must be a never-ending process because healthcare is developing very fast in the world. New technologies, treatment and surgical techniques are applied now. We must use the best practices in Azerbaijan. And this, of course, requires modern equipment. At the same time, the learning process has to continue all the time.

I congratulate you on this great event and wish you good health and every success.