NED FOUNDATION RECEIVES RIU SUPPORT TO IMPROVE MEDICAL-SURGICAL CARE IN ZANZIBAR
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- The collaboration will improve neurosurgical care for the people of Zanzibar, promoting access to safe and affordable surgery in the region
- Currently, 3 out of 10 patients operated on at the NED Institute are children
The Neurosurgery, Education and Development (NED) Foundation is developing its programme for the improvement of neuropaediatric care in Zanzibar with RIU Hotels & Resorts. Through this agreement, in force for the next three years, both entities are committed to train local health professionals and to improve the equipment of the NED Institute, located in the Mnazi Mmoja Hospital. This collaboration between the organisation and the hotel company will increase the number of patients treated at the NED Institute and will contribute to improving the health care received by the population of the archipelago.
To this end, the programme’s investment will focus on two areas. On the one hand, it will focus on optimising the physical infrastructure where children are cared for in order to adapt it to the needs of the patients. It will also invest in improving the medical equipment at the NED Institute, Zanzibar’s main centre for neurosurgical patients.
In addition, the partnership will fund the training of healthcare workers who provide medical care at the centre. This includes educational scholarships, specialisation courses and support for the training of three local residents in 2023. This training will place special emphasis on the treatment of spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which currently represent two of the main neurosurgical needs in Zanzibar and the wider region.
Overall, the investment in human and material resources will directly benefit the paediatric patients of the NED Institute. In addition, this investment will strengthen the capacity for diagnosis and treatment of neurosurgical pathologies in Zanzibar.
About RIU Hotels & Resorts in Zanzibar:
The international chain RIU was founded in Majorca, Spain, in 1953 as a small holiday business by the Riu family, founder and current third generation owner. RIU is currently the 32nd largest chain in the world, 3rd in Spain by revenue and 4th by number of rooms. RIU arrived in Zanzibar in 2018 and currently has two hotels: the 4-star Riu Jambo and the 5-star Adults Only Riu Palace Zanzibar. Both are located on the northern tip of Unguja, Zanzibar’s main island, and at the foot of the paradisiacal Nungwi Beach. They have 24-hour All Inclusive service and a total of 697 rooms.
About the NED Foundation:
The Neurosurgery, Education and Development (NED) Foundation is a foundation dedicated to the development of global neurosurgery in low-resource health systems. Established in 2008, the foundation has its main cooperation projects in Zanzibar (Tanzania). In Zanzibar, the foundation co-directs the NED Mnazi Mmoja Institute together with the Ministry of Health of Zanzibar. This specialised medical centre is dedicated to the care and treatment of neurosurgical patients and the training of local health specialists. In addition, the foundation supports an outpatient paediatric health care centre on the island known as the House of Hope. This centre accommodates and assists children suffering from hydrocephalus and spina bifida and their families through health education, rehabilitation and physiotherapy programmes for children.
