Pediatrician Zeynep Abuşoğlu, a specialist in Pediatrics, works in various regions of Africa to bring children back to health.
The 45-year-old Abuşoğlu, who has been working as a Pediatrician for 22 years, also continues her education as an assistant in the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital.
Zeynep Abuşoğlu, who has worked in many different provinces in Turkey throughout her professional life, often travels to different parts of Africa as a doctor.
Even though Abuşoğlu stays away from her 10 and 14-year-old daughters, she travels to various countries in the region with the moral support she receives from them and performs her profession to help children regain their health.
In this context, Zeynep Abuşoğlu provided health services to children for 2 weeks in Chad, where she went as a volunteer.
“The innocence, happiness and pure love of the children here impressed me a lot”
Pediatrics Specialist Zeynep Abuşoğlu told AA correspondent that her African adventure started with Somalia.
Stating that she had an interest and love for Africa before becoming a doctor, Abuşoğlu said, “I realized my first African mission in Somalia in 2019. I worked in Mogadishu Somalia Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital affiliated to the Ministry of Health for about 4 months.”
Noting that Africa is a passion for him, Abuşoğlu said, “Africa means happiness for me. The innocence, happiness and pure love of the children here affected me a lot. It changed my perspective on life. It also significantly increased my professional motivation. Being able to help people, to touch their hearts even a little bit, to contribute to their health motivates me in a serious way.”
Explaining that he went to Sudan two years ago, Abuşoğlu said that he worked in Nyala Sudan Turkish Training and Research Hospital affiliated to the Ministry of Health for 6 months.
Dr. Abuşoğlu stated that every time he returns, he wants to go back to Africa more and more.
“We hope to come again”
Finally, Abuşoğlu stated that he came to Chad together with the Yeryüzü Doktorları Association (YYD) and said, “We served in the clinic belonging to YYD in the Sido region, where refugees are concentrated in Chad. We carried out our examinations here. We had training activities. It was a very full and useful two weeks. We hope to come back again.”
Abuşoğlu stated that it was very difficult to leave his daughters Azra and Beren while he was working in Africa and said, “I missed my daughters the most while I was in Africa. Since they knew my purpose of being in Africa, they showed maturity and supported me most of the time. They are my heroes.”
Abuşoğlu said that he would like to work abroad as much as he can, adding that seeing different places and getting to know people satisfies him professionally.
