Ahl Masr Foundation, which plans to open the first burn hospital in Egypt and the Middle East, had treated more than 4,000 people so far, founder Heba Elsewedy said on Thursday. Speaking at the International Council for Small Business' (ICSB) World Congress taking place in Cairo, Elsewedy talked about Ahl Masr's journey starting with 3 employees to the stage of having currently more than 75 employees. Ahl Masr is an Egyptian NGO established in 2013 to aid people with heart problems, eye injuries, and burns. In just a few years since its founding, the NGO decided to build Ahl Misr Hospital for the treatment of burn victims free of charge. There are more than 250,000 burn victims in Egypt every year, including 20,000 cases only who can find suitable places for treatment in the country, Elsewedy added. The anticipated burn hospital will comprise 60 beds and a total of 20 intensive care units (ICUs), which are of utmost importance in cases of burns. It will follow conventional medicine in addition to unorthodox methods. Alternative medicine will be introduced, in cooperation with Malaysia, by launching a unit for healing with music. Psychological care will be also an integral part of the healing process, with psychological rehabilitation provided not only to patients and their families, but also to doctors and nurses who experience great stress after exposure to the traumas of the injured. Ahl Masr Foundation has also launched campaigns on prevention and awareness in schools, universities, and companies through corporate social responsibility programmes, Elsewedy said. The foundation also works on the "Safe Village” initiative, targeting the villages in Egypt where most burn incidents occur – mainly in the governorate of Beni Suef. It works on introducing a model where roofs are fire proofed, extinguishers are provided to each house.
