Khalifa Foundation donates US$2 million medical equipment

The UAE's Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has announced that they will donate an Elekta Synergy Digital Accelerator, worth US$2 million, to the Aligarh Muslim University's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College.

The announcement coincides with the visit to India of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as the chief guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations. President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2017 as the ‘#Year of Giving’, focusing on public-private partnerships in the field of humanitarian initiatives.

The Khalifa Foundation said in a statement that the donation was made possible through cooperation between them and VPS Healthcare, a UAE-based Indian healthcare company. The foundation pointed out that this is an example of growing public-private partnerships in the field of humanitarian initiatives, specifically the synergy between Indian businesses in the UAE and the UAE government.

"The UAE's close ties with India in general and Aligarh Muslim University, AMU, in particular, are not new. Our Father of the Nation and Founder of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, visited Aligarh Muslim University in 1975 and interacted with a cross section of the AMU community. His visit to AMU then was in appreciation of the sterling role the University had played in the field of higher education in India for over a century. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to India as chief guest at Republic Day celebrations is in continuation of the close ties that Sheikh Zayed established with India, both at the levels of the governments and the peoples," said Mohammed Hajji Al Khouri, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation Director-General.

"We are extremely thankful to the Khalifa Foundation and VPS Healthcare for this noble gesture. From playing a major role in combating Poliomyelitis to sending relief teams to Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College has always been at the forefront of helping the needy and serving our country," said Dr. Zameeruddin Shah, Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, said, "It is an honour to support the Khalifa Foundation. The UAE and AMU share a special bond that began with the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s visit to the university in 1975. My company and I are committed to always extending our support and cooperation in the humanitarian and other initiatives launched by the UAE, which is one of the world's largest donors of humanitarian and development aid."

The linear accelerator will be installed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, a premier medical institution. The medical college provides affordable medical care to all sections of society, especially the underprivileged, and treated over 700,000 patients last year. The linear accelerator will help physicians provide better quality of care for patients suffering from cancer, in addition to helping students at the medical college in their learning.

The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation was established in July 2007 by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa. The foundation runs pioneering welfare initiatives focusing on health and education in the UAE and abroad. The educational strategy of the foundation includes supporting vocational educational projects in different countries, and more than 87 countries have benefited from assistance given by the foundation since its inception.