Minister of Health, Population, and Social Affairs Pays Courtesy Visit to CURE Niger
Niger’s Minister of Health, Population, and Social Affairs, Garba Hakimi, and some accompanying government officials visited CURE Children’s Hospital of Niger (CURE Niger) on 7 February 2024 to learn about our work providing surgical care to children with physical disabilities.
To foster a mutual relationship, understanding, and support, CURE Niger’s Executive Director, George Găvruș, met with the officials at the hospital for an open discussion.
More than ten officials attended the meeting, including Dr. Hama Issoufou, Director-General of the National Population Commission; Saidou Mallam, General Secretary of Ministry of Health; Dr. Adamou Mustapha, General Director of Public Health; and Abdoulaye Alassane, Technical Advisor of Ministry of Health.
The Minister, himself a surgeon, and his team received a warm welcome and were invited on a hospital tour, where they were provided with general information about CURE Niger’s operations across different departments. A constructive discussion ensued between the government officials and CURE staff after the tour.
The discussions included information about the hospital’s services, patient follow-up, statistical data, wastewater management, and projects expanding the hospital’s capacities. The Minister proposed we submit our statistics to the government’s official database for better visibility of CURE services nationally, which we agreed to do.
In his opening speech, Garba Hakimi congratulated CURE Niger’s staff for the life-changing work they do. “We visited CURE Children’s Hospital of Niger with clear objectives to see what treatment options this hospital offers to Nigerien children and children from other countries that are treated here,” he said. “Another aim was to see the staff working here and see their working conditions to appreciate things at their proper value. I congratulate the hospital for their work and that children with treatable conditions can have a better life after being cared for here.”
Partnering for a Better Future
Established in 2010, CURE Niger is the seventh out of eight hospitals in the CURE International Children’s Hospital network. It is the only hospital in the country of over 24 million that offers specialty surgical care for children with treatable physical disabilities. The hospital provides over 1,400 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries each year.
In an effort to help more kids receive the care they desperately need, CURE Niger will continue our collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Abdou Moumouni University. Over time, CURE Niger has trained residents from the university in advanced pediatric orthopedic techniques.
CURE Niger’s Medical Director, Fasto Ladu, highlighted the benefits of strengthening our cooperation in this area. “We can’t do anything alone, but when we partner, we can do more for these children. One need is that of training local doctors. In the future, if we have a bigger space, we can continue to train more Nigerien doctors so they can go out there to treat those children in need.”
More than 50,000 patients have walked through our gates, greeted by a welcoming and competent staff. George Găvruș, CURE’s Executive Director, shared with the officials the desire to increase the hospital’s capacity for treating patients and presented the ten-year plan for the hospital’s expansion, including more operating rooms, a guesthouse for male guardians, and a prosthesis workshop.
“Throughout the years, we enjoyed a good relationship with the Nigerien government. As we look to the future, we look forward to continuing this partnership to benefit the children we serve,” he declared.
Commitment to Enhancing Healthcare
Garba Hakimi acknowledged CURE’s Niger significant role in addressing the country’s limited capacity to treat complex orthopedic childhood disabilities. At the end of the meeting, the Minister affirmed his determination to partner with CURE Niger and enhance healthcare in the country by advertising our hospital on various occasions, listing our statistical data on the government’s website, and referring children with treatable disabilities to us.
“Looking at the number of patients this hospital is treating and the places from which they are coming here, from all the areas of the country, the notable thing is that the treatment is free of charge. . . . I encourage you to achieve the objectives you set up to allow these children to have a better future ahead!”
Watch National Coverage of the visit to CURE Niger here.
All medical care is provided at no cost to children and their families, made possible by the generous support of CURE partners and donors.
Learn how CURE provides surgical care to the most vulnerable children in Niger.
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Niger
CURE Niger has been a place of hope since opening its doors in 2010. Ours is the first and only hospital in the country to provide Christ-centered care and charitable surgeries for children with treatable disabilities. Our teaching hospital has 58 beds, two operating rooms, and an outpatient clinic. In addition to world-class medical care, our team ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of our patients and their communities.
