Saving a million lives is the remarkable ambition of Randal Foundation Founder and Chairman Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL.
Through an innovative partnership with EMERGENCY UK the Foundation is rapidly accelerating its impact – helping save tens of thousands of lives in the months ahead.
The landmark three-year strategic partnership is now six months into operation and is already driving delivery of vital healthcare and surgical projects.
A grant from the Randal Foundation has brought crucial funding for EMERGENCY’s global healthcare projects, while supporting the growth of the organisation’s UK affiliate, with £500,000 committed in year one alone. In all, around €1.8 million will be invested by the Foundation to power immediate lifesaving work at scale.
The Randal Foundation’s first year of funding supporting pharmacy, medical consumables and equipment in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Uganda aims to contribute towards saving 28,000 lives and improve over 65,000 in its first year and is already on track after six months of operation.
In Afghanistan, Randal Foundation’s funds are supporting EMERGENCY’s projects across the country which include surgical centres in Kabul and Laskhar-Gah as well as its maternity, paediatric and surgical centres in the Panjshir Valley and network of first aid posts and primary healthcare centres. EMERGENCY’s network of healthcare facilities in Afghanistan are a crucial lifeline amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. EMERGENCY has been working in Afghanistan since 1999, delivering high quality care and providing medical training; currently, more than 95% of staff across the facilities are Afghan.
In Sierra Leone funding from the Randal Foundation is going towards EMERGENCY’s surgical centre in Goderich, a reference hospital for surgery and traumatology for the entire country. Located just outside the capital, Freetown, the surgical centre has performed over 70,000 surgeries and conducted over 460,000 outpatient consultations since opening in 2001.
In Uganda the partnership is contributing towards activities at the children’s surgical hospital in Entebbe which provides elective paediatric surgery for children from Uganda and neighbouring African countries as part of EMERGENCY’s Regional Programme for Paediatric Surgery.
The impact of this partnership is underpinned by the quality of care provided across EMERGENCY’s hospitals. The grant is already supporting the provision of vital care – for pregnant women receiving obstetric services at the Anabah maternity centre in Afghanistan – a crucial facility in a country with one of the worst infant and maternal mortality rates in the world – and children in Uganda undergoing surgery at the children’s surgical hospital.
The substantial impact already made reflects the long term missions of both organisations to ensure the immediate impact created from investment and action is sustainable and leaves a positive, lasting legacy. This reflects their shared fundamental belief that access to quality healthcare is a universal human right.
Randal Foundation Founder and Chairman Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL will take on a global advocacy role for EMERGENCY UK. He said: “We’re delighted to be working closely with EMERGENCY UK once again, delivering together on our mission to directly save and significantly improve more than a million lives in the UK and globally. This partnership reflects our goals – investing in EMERGENCY’s exceptional model of care that combines medical excellence with dignity and equality for all patients.
Their innovative approach to building local capacity aligns perfectly with our mission to create lasting sustainable impact, which will benefit vulnerable communities for generations to come.”
EMERGENCY UK President Rossella Miccio said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Randal Foundation, Dr Kotecha and all the trustees for this strategic partnership which is helping to make a significant impact that lasts for the long-term. It is generous support like this that enables EMERGENCY to provide the free, high-quality care that so many people around the world need. The multi-year longevity of this partnership is crucial in enabling us to save and improve lives and boost local healthcare capacity. We are pleased to be working closely together once again and seeing the impact our partnership is making.”
Randal Foundation Chief Operating Officer Rachael McCormack said: “We’re looking forward to next steps together through this international collaboration – working across Africa, Asia and Europe – in our shared endeavour to save lives and significantly improve lives. By accelerating our work through powerful partnerships, we hope to make greater impact against a backdrop of ever-greater worldwide need.”
EMERGENCY UK Managing Director David Lloyd Webber said: “This strategic partnership is already creating such significant impact supporting EMERGENCY’s projects around the world, and marks a watershed moment for EMERGENCY UK. Together with the invaluable support of the Randal Foundation and ambassadorship of Dr Nik Kotecha, we will be able to reach new audiences across the United Kingdom and drive greater awareness of EMERGENCY’s critical work.”
To find out more about the Randal Foundation go to www.randalfoundation.org.uk
To find out more about EMERGENCY UK go to www.emergencyuk.org
Thumbnail main photo: Randal Foundation Founder and Chair of Trustees Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL and President of EMERGENCY UK Rosella Miccio
Photos in this article are copyright of Davide Preti
