ISTANBUL, (PIC)-- Dr. Basim Na'eem, the health minister, paid an official visit to Turkey at the invitation of the humanitarian relief foundation (IHH) during which he met with Turkish health minister Dr. Recep Akdag and other officials and visited the Palestinian wounded hospitalized there.

Dr. Na'eem said he briefed the Turkish health minister on the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza as a result of the Israeli siege, adding that Dr. Akdag favorably received his request for supplying Gaza hospitals with medical needs and qualifying Palestinian doctors.

During his visit, the Palestinian health minister visited the Palestinian patients, whom the IHH humanitarian relief foundation brought to Turkey for treatment, to get informed about their health conditions. Naim also paid a visit to the IHH headquarters and thanked the foundation for its aid.

In a new development, a 19-month-old female baby called Hadeel Al-Haddad died Sunday of a heart disease. Her death raised the siege victims to 205 Palestinian patients.

The popular committee against the siege quoted the infant's family as saying that she underwent an open heart surgery six months ago, but the IOA prevented her travel outside Gaza to complete the medical treatment.