Under the fitting name of “Doctor 2 Doctor – Flying Expertise Overseas” the pediatrics department of the VU University Medical Center (VUMC) and KLM AirCares will be joining forces to improve the level of pediatric care available to children in Kenya.
AMSTERDAM/AMSTELVEEN – Starting from October, pediatric specialists from VUMC will regularly and voluntarily fly to the Moi Referral and Teaching Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, an hour’s flight from Nairobi. The hospital, in western Kenya, plays a crucial role in an area that is home to more than twelve million people in Kenya and Uganda. Even though the hospital has a small pediatric department, it treats a large number of children. Even today, doctors in developing countries often lack the knowledge required to effectively treat children suffering from congenital physical disorders.
Pediatricians from VUMC, each armed with their own specialist expertise, will train doctors in Kenya so they can improve pediatric care. The most important task facing the Dutch doctors will be to improve the level of pediatric knowledge in Kenya. Since the Moi Hospital is a teaching hospital, the knowledge they glean can be passed on to other doctors around Kenya. This makes the “Doctor 2 Doctor” program a highly sustainable form of development aid.
KLM will be supporting Doctor 2 Doctor through the KLM AirCares charity program. KLM AirCares will initiate promotional and fundraising activities for Doctor 2 Doctor. One such initiative will involve inviting passengers to donate frequent flyer miles and money. These resources will be used to cover the travel and accommodation expenses associated with the VUMC doctors traveling and staying in Kenya. KLM Health Services and KLM’s partner airline Kenya Airways will also be participating in the Doctor 2 Doctor program. As a specialist in the field of healthy employment and travel, KLM Health Services was involved in selecting the hospital and will ensure that the doctors travel safely and in good health. In addition to providing transport facilities, KLM’s partner airline Kenya Airways will also be supporting the promotion of Doctor 2 Doctor.
By pooling our expertise in the field of pediatrics with KLM’s knowledge of transport, we hope to make Doctor 2 Doctor a resounding success,” said Prof. John Roord, head of the pediatrics department of the VU University Medical Center.
