New Children's Health Clinic Opens on Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde
A new Children's Solidarity Health Clinic (CSSI) has been inaugurated on Boa Vista island in Cape Verde, located in the Chã de Salinas Health Post in the Boa Esperança neighborhood. This initiative is a collaborative effort between RIU Hotels & Resorts, the NGO África Avanza, and the Bem Estar Foundation, with close cooperation from the Ministry of Health of Cabo Verde. The clinic's medical direction is led by Cape Verdean pediatrician Manuela Santos Lima, assisted by Dr. Edgardo Quiroga. The project also benefits from the technical support of four Spanish pediatricians and one pediatric nurse, who will provide clinical protocols, manuals, therapeutic guidelines, and ongoing training to update medical knowledge with the latest pediatric practices.
One of the clinic's key innovations, highlighted by Iñaki Gascón of África Avanza and the Bem Estar Foundation, is the implementation of a digital clinical history system for personalized patient registration and follow-up. The clinic offers three service modalities: spontaneous consultation, appointment-based consultation, and scheduled consultation for regular health monitoring. Gascón emphasized that the project aims to extend its reach beyond Sal Rei to all settlements on Boa Vista. Naomi Riu, Director of Sustainability at RIU Hotels & Resorts, stated that the project aligns with the company's social responsibility strategy, focusing on supporting local communities, with childhood and health being key priorities. RIU Hotels & Resorts has already invested over 98,000 euros, covering staff salaries and operational costs.
This initiative represents a public-private partnership model aimed at enhancing pediatric healthcare access in a region with potentially limited resources. The integration of a digital health record system signifies a forward-looking approach to patient management and data collection, crucial for long-term health monitoring and public health insights. The project's replication from a successful model in Costa Rica and its prior implementation on Sal island suggest a scalable and potentially sustainable intervention. By leveraging corporate social responsibility funding and international expertise alongside local health ministry collaboration, the clinic addresses both immediate healthcare needs and capacity building within the local medical community, potentially serving as a blueprint for similar developments in underserved areas.
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