‘Project a good model for public, private collusion’
Stem cell, umbilical cord center being built
KUWAIT CITY, March 26, (KUNA): The private sector in Kuwait has come to play a major role in various fields of the economic scene, for the good of the entire society, within the concept of social responsibility of the business. This role has been in many cases fulfilled in partnership with the public sector.
The Sheikha Salwa Sabah AlAhmad Center for Stem Cell and Umbilical Cord, under-construction, offers a good model of the public-private partnership (PPP).
No doubt, such a center, once completed, will be of great value at a time when scientists are hard at work trying to explore how the cells can be used for a better quality of life for patients suffering from genetic diseases, for instance.
Already, such efforts have been fruitful as discoveries in the field have raised hope for people with incurable diseases such as blood cancers, disorders of the immunity system and metabolism, to have a better standard of life through stem cell transplant. The center is being built on a total area of 12,000 m sq in the Al Sabah Health Zone, opposite the Maternity Hospital. It includes a three-floor main building and one for utilities, besides external landscaping and parking. The facility includes testing and research laboratories, blood and cord storage banks, research and medical libraries, as well as a lecture theater.
On behalf of the Kuwait Projects Company- Holding (KIPCO) and the Group companies, the Masharee AlKhair Charity Organization provided a KD 7 million ($23 million) donation for the Gulf region’s first-ever center to be dedicated to stem cell research and the storage of umbilical cords. In addition, the Advanced Technology Company, a member of the KIPCO Group, has pledged to provide state-of-the-art equipment for the center’s specialized laboratories, cooling systems and stem cell storage facilities. ATC’s contribution is valued at KD one million.
Once completed in mid-September 2017, the Sheikha Salwa Sabah AlAhmad Center for Stem Cell and Umbilical Cord will be handed over to the Ministry of Health.
KIPCO’s donation for the center has been prompted by its strong belief in the major role of the private sector in all vital sectors in Kuwait so as to cope with the accelerating scientific progress worldwide. It also offers a model example of PPP, for promoting medical services in the country.
The center is the first of its kind in the Gulf region, and a landmark achievement in the health sector, KIPCO Deputy Chairman Faisal Al-Ayyar told KUNA.
He noted that KIPCO Group companies allocate 1 percent of their annual profits for Masharee Al-Khair to offer support to social, health and educational scenes.
Al-Ayyar expressed hope the day would come when storing stem cells would be as easy as ever, and treatment through them a first choice for incurable diseases, boasting KIPCO’s philanthropic role.
On his part, Masharee Al-Khair board member and treasurer AbdulAziz Al-Jassar, said that KIPCO’s donation for the center was prompted by a strong belief in the vital role of the private sector supporting the government’s development plans.
“We pin great hopes on the wouldbe center, that will no doubt play a major role for promoting medical research,” Al-Jassar told KUNA.
Founded in 1975, KIPCO has since become one of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region’s most successful companies.
With holdings in sectors such as financial services, media, manufacturing and real estate, KIPCO Group comprises over 60 companies and employs over 12,000 people in 24 countries.