A ceremony for signing a joint cooperation protocol between Ain Shams University was held, headed by Prof. Mahmoud El-Metini and the “Sehatna” Foundation, headed by Professor Amr Shaker, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, with the aim of supporting and equipping the stroke unit at Ain Shams University Hospitals (Demerdash). The protocol comes as an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two sides in 2018.

Under this cooperation, Sehetna Foundation guarantees the immediate provision of the Stroke Unit’s needs of medical devices, with a capacity of twenty-one patient beds with all the necessary medical equipment.

This came in the presence of Prof. Dr. Ashraf Omar, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Chairman of the University Hospitals Board of Directors, and Prof. Ali Al-Anwar, Executive Director of University Hospitals, and Prof. Dr. Shahera Samir, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Dr. Heba Allah Al-Saeed, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Education and Students, and Prof. Hani Aref is Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, in fruitful cooperation with civil society institutions, pointing out that many of the achievements in the interest of the citizen and the health care system in Egypt were the result of cooperation with major civil institutions, especially the " Sehetna" Foundation.

He added that the Stroke Unit at Demerdash University Hospital is the only one in Egypt to have German accreditation, and cooperation will be made with our Health Foundation in providing the latest devices and equipment to establish this new unit so that it can receive approximately 2,500 patients per year.

He pointed out that the medical teams working in that unit are doctors and nurses from among the distinguished medical personnel in Egypt to treat stroke, as the efforts of this medical staff resulted in the unit receiving the Diamond Award several times from the International Organization for Stroke, which is the most distinguished award in the world for stroke units. This reflects the high competence of the medical teams of this unit at Al-Demerdash Hospital and its adherence to the best international standards in this regard.

Mr. Amr Shaker, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sehetna Foundation, explained that the Foundation is an Egyptian non-profit organization that seeks to provide sustainable health solutions that are available to all and within the reach of all Egyptian patients, saying, “In order for us to achieve our goals, we need strong partnerships that provide us with the necessary support to provide adequate health services. For patients all over Egypt, and that is why we are looking for a distinguished institutional partner who shares our belief in this issue and expresses his readiness to fully commit to the development of the healthcare sector in Egypt. The hospital and the Foundation will cooperate closely to reduce the waiting lists of stroke patients in hospitals. "

It is worth noting that stroke is the second cause of death in the world and the third cause of disability for the elderly, and it is a medical emergency, and immediate treatment for it is very vital and important, especially in the first golden hours, as it can reduce damage to the brain and prevent potential complications after a stroke Which varies according to the affected part of the brain from paralysis, loss of speech or memory loss, etc.