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Children recovering from illness and injury will be able to beat the hospital blues with the aid of an inspiring new library opened at Salmaniya Medical Complex.
They will now be able to enjoy hundreds of books and learning tools thanks to community champions, Coca-Cola.
The library, which is complete with TV, DVDs, toys and computer facilities, is located in the paediatric outpatient department and will be a resource for the hospital’s children’s ward.
The children’s library was established by the company as part of its ‘Hospital Library Project’ and officials say it marks the first step by the Coca-Cola Foundation toward carrying out an education programme in Bahrain.
The project is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility campaign in the region.
Rafik El Toukhi, president of the Middle East business unit for Coca-Cola, said: “The aim of the library is to provide children with an environment that can speed the healing process by engaging them in learning exercises that are fun and enlightening.
“Our goal was to create a space within an institutional setting that can relieve the strain of a stay in hospital for a child, particularly a long stay.”
Dr Abdul Al Aziz Hamza, Under-Secretary for the Bahrain Ministry of Health, added: “It is very important for established corporations such as Coca-Cola to reach out to the communities they have rooted themselves in, and we in Bahrain are very grateful they have done so.
“This initiative is a perfect example of how corporate citizens can offer added value to official institutions.
“I am sure future paediatric patients will be vastly appreciative, as will their parents.”
Coca-Cola has implemented numerous educational tools for hospitals and schools in recent years, equipping them with up-to-date computer labs.
Four hospitals in Jordan, have also been given children’s libraries by the company.
By -RdS-
