Addis Ababa, Ethiopia–U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Peter Vrooman visited the CURE Hospital in October 2016 to learn about their work to train pediatric orthopedic surgeons and provide modern medical and surgical care to physically disabled children.
The U.S. Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides support to the hospital through grants and supplying highly specialized equipment to for the state-of-the-art surgical treatment facilities. USAID currently has a grant amount of $570,000 through the end of 2017.
CURE Hospital is a pediatric orthopedic teaching hospital located in Addis Ababa, which opened in 2008. The hospital has a staff of 150 Ethiopian nationals and 6 expatriate staff including highly trained and qualified orthopedic surgeons. According to hospital director, Dr. Mary Bernard, only 70 orthopedic surgeons are available in Ethiopia to serve a population of 96 million, compared to what she said are 2,500 orthopedic surgeons serving a population of 65 million in the UK.
The hospital is an internationally accredited training site, providing orthopedic residents receive training in advanced pediatric orthopedic techniques, and helping to expand the availability of services in the country. In addition to training new orthopedic professionals, the hospital treats an average of 2,000 children per year, filling a critical gap in complex orthopedic care for patients who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get such services.
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The U.S. Embassy views the hospital as highly important for addressing the lack of capacity in Ethiopia to treat complex orthopedic emergencies and disabilities in children as well as adults. Through continued treatment and training, the CURE Hospital is both addressing the acute needs of today, and helping Ethiopia develop the capacity to address the needs of its people in the future.
Source: USAID Ethiopia
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