The Housing and Development Bank (HDB) and the Ahl Masr Foundation for Development have signed a joint cooperation protocol to complement the bank’s contributions to its support to Ahl Masr Hospital, specialized in treating burns. It will be the first and largest specialized hospital in Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa to treat burns free of charge.

This cooperation aims to support patients with burn injuries by participating in the construction of the General Surgery Center in the hospital.

This step reflects HDB’s belief in its role in the field of social responsibility. The Bank has reinforced its efforts in serving and supporting the health care sector by launching a series of effective initiatives, sponsoring and supporting many hospitals.

It has also participated in protocols aimed at creating a positive and sustainable impact on this sector, which is one of the most important files that need support, because of its tangible impact on society.

The protocol was signed by Hassan Ghanem, Chairman and Managing Director of HDB, and Heba El-Sewedy, head of the Board of Trustees at the Ahl Masr Foundation.

Signing this protocol comes in light of the joint cooperation between HDB and Ahl Masr Foundation, which has been in force since 2016. This protocol is the second cooperation with a value of more than EGP 12m, after the first cooperation protocol, which amounted to more than EGP 9m, bringing the total contributions to more than EGP 21m.

Hassan Ghanem expressed his pride in cooperating with one of the largest leading national institutions in the field of health care, Ahl Masr Foundation, which works to provide medical services to burn patients. Ghanem praised the Foundation’s continuous efforts to provide a better life for burn victims.

For her part, Heba El-Sewedy said: “We, in Ahl Masr Foundation, can only thank HDB for its support. We look forward to further cooperation to contribute to supplying the equipment needed at Ahl Masr Hospital to treat burns free of charge.”

Ghanem stressed that the Bank pays great attention to social responsibility and always seeks to support the various vital sectors in Egypt, out of its belief in the vital role financial and banking institutions play in the field of social responsibility and sustainable development. Their effective participation in non-profit civil society institutions has effective results on supporting the community for the largest number of beneficiaries.

He added that supporting the health care sector was a top priority in the bank’s strategy for social responsibility during the previous years. This is line with the directions of the Egyptian state to enhance the medical system in Egypt, by launching a series of positive initiatives and providing support to many hospitals, in addition to participating in protocols aimed at creating a positive and sustainable impact on this sector as one of the most files that require support.

The Ahl Masr Foundation for Development was established in 2013 under the number 728/2013 to become the first non-profit development institution in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa concerned with preventing and treating burns. It also aims to revolutionize the concept of charitable and voluntary work as well as health care in Egypt through its dedicated team. The hospital was able to become a distinguished and effective institution, and was able to shed light on a neglected issue, which is burn accidents.

Ahl Masr Hospital is the first hospital and research center specialized in treating burns free of charge in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa. It was designed with a capacity of 200 beds, and it consists of six floors in addition to two air ambulance landings to ensure the speed of transferring patients to the hospital as burn victims should be transferred in less than six hours. The hospital has an emergency department that can be converted into an intensive care unit that receives up to 30 cases.