The RIU Hotels & Resorts chain and Fundación Aitana have joined forces again to improve the well-being of children with cancer in Mexico. RIU will cover the costs of all the medicines needed at the newly-opened Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit at the Dr Jesús Kumate General Hospital in Cancún, an oncology department that specializes in chemotherapy treatments. This represents an improvement in the quality of life of all children and young people under 18 who suffer from cancer and who, until a few days ago, had to travel to other Mexican states to receive the treatment they needed.
This new department is the only one that offers this service to the public in the northern district of the state. Initially, it will have two pediatricians specializing in oncology and four nurses to attend to patients from Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. This medical team will provide care for children from the provinces of Tulum, Solidaridad, Cozumel, Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Lázaro Cárdenas.
The official opening was attended by several political figures including Alejandra Aguirre Crespo, Director of Health and General Secretary of the Department of Health Services of the State of Quintana Roo. Dr Ignacio Bermúdez Meléndez, the hospital’s General Director, was also present with other representatives of the medical center, as well as Alma Tesillos, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Americas for RIU Hotels and Yusi Evelyn Dzib Echeverría, President of Fundación Aitana, who is one of the new oncology department’s main champions.
Accompanied by several children from the charity and their families, Yusi gave her heartfelt thanks for the support received from public institutions and the private sector. She made special mention of RIU Hotels, which have shouldered the responsibility to provide all the medical supplies needed to carry out chemotherapy treatments at a cost of 187,000 Mexican pesos (8,523 EUR/ 9,800 USD) a month, for an initial period of two years. After giving thanks, Yusi closed her speech with a few words of hope: “Today, after 9 years of knowing cancer first-hand, I can say without fear of being wrong that cancer is not a synonym for death, but rather for fighting, perseverance and family togetherness.”
Alma Tesillos, RIU’s representative at the event, explained that “participating in a project of this scale, in partnership with the foundation, is a great example of what civil society can achieve when we work together.” She also reiterated the hotel chain’s dedication to the well-being of Mexican children, and that its generous contribution is “an honor for us as a company and a commitment to the people of Quintana Roo.”
Since 2016, RIU Hotels and Fundación Aitana have collaborated to help sick children and their families travel comfortably by first-class bus to Mérida or Chetumal, journeys that take four and six hours respectively that they sometimes have to make on a weekly basis for medical appointments. They also cover flights for those needing treatment in the oncology hospitals in Mexico City and Querétaro, as well as the cost of medication and other expenses relating to their well-being.
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