Ooredoo launches mobile health clinics in Indonesia

Ooredoo and the Leo Messi Foundation have officially launched mobile health clinics in Indonesia. The ceremony took place in Jogja, the capital of the Yogyakarta Special Region in Java, which marked the first step in an on-going expansion of Ooredoo’s and the Leo Messi Foundation’s healthcare initiative announced in May. Plans are in place to make more clinics accessible in Indonesia, Myanmar, Algeria, and Tunisia as part of the programme. With a focus on the importance of education and healthy living for communities, the clinics will play an informative role, in addition to providing people with a range of free services, including medical checks, dental checks, nutritional advice and vitamin distribution. The launch ceremony was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani, Ooredoo chairman and chairman of the board of commissioners of Ooredoo’s company in Indonesia, Indosat; Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo; Alexander Rusli, president director and CEO, Indosat; and representatives of Jogja’s local government. In addition, 150 parents and 150 children attended the event, where they received messages about the prevention and cure for common illnesses, as well as the importance of a healthy lifestyle and education for the children. Dr Marafih said: “These mobile health clinics are an investment in the future of the communities we serve.” He added: “I had the opportunity to see the mobile clinics in action. They travel out to remote areas, staffed by medical professionals and volunteers, and actively work with the community to address a range of healthcare issues…we are passionate about helping them to reach as many people as possible, not only here in Indonesia but across all of the markets that we operate in.” Alexander Rusli, president director and CEO, Indosat, said: “The mobile clinic programme was created as an immediate response to some of the serious health issues facing people in Indonesia’s rural and under-served communities. To date our clinics have treated 600,000 people in Indonesia.” The Ooredoo mobile health clinic initiative was launched in 2013 in partnership with the Leo Messi Foundation. As part of this partnership, the two organisations are providing healthcare in rural areas across Ooredoo’s footprint in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, aiming to reach more than 2mn young people with services by 2016. Ooredoo also works with football hero Leo Messi as its global brand ambassador.