Madar (Nouakchott) - President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani met on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with the staff of the National Oncology Centre in Nouakchott, in the presence of Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay and the health minister, to review the institution's work, conditions of patient care and the main challenges it faces, the presidency said.
The meeting came three days after the prime minister visited the centre on Saturday, October 17, as part of a tour of health and public facilities in the capital. Relatives of patients used that visit to air complaints about services and about administrative delays over equipment, with the centre's director responding to them in front of the prime minister, according to the Manara Info news agency.
After his tour, the prime minister said the president had ordered urgent measures about two years ago to address shortcomings that threatened some of the centre's services, particularly imaging and radiotherapy. The CT scanner has been in service for three months and the new radiotherapy machine has been installed, with its programming and staff training expected to be completed by November 15, the Mauritanian News Agency reported.
The prime minister also said negotiations were advancing on a financing agreement for a large, stand-alone cancer hospital.
Earlier the same day, the president chaired a meeting on preparations to open 28 health centres in Nouakchott.
