Mrs Zarina Merali, wife of Late Business Tycoon and Billionaire Naushad Merali, has donated Ksh100 million (US$1.2 million) towards building the state-of-the-art surgical centre at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Zarina Merali Surgical Daycare Centre
Mrs Zarina Merali, wife of Late Business Tycoon Naushad Merali, donated Ksh100 million towards a surgical daycare centre through the Zarina and Naushad Merali Foundation. The donation, which was made in 2012 for the construction of the surgical centre, finally came to fruition, as the centre was inaugurated on May 11, 2022 by the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta accompanied by Mrs Zarina Merali and other reputed dignitaries.
In honour of Mrs Zarina Merali, the facility has been named “Zarina Merali Surgical Daycare Centre” and will facilitate outpatient surgeries or same-day surgeries for Kenyatta National Hospital patients. The centre has four theatres, an endoscopy unit, an electrophysiology room, and associated support facilities. It is also equipped to offer a wide range of ambulatory surgeries such as cosmetic, dental, gynaecology, and endoscopy.
The project was jointly funded by the Government and the Zarina and Naushad Merali Foundation. The construction of the centre is in line with the efforts of the Government in managing patients, reducing congestion in the wards reducing pre-and post-surgical admissions and cutting down theatre waiting times by enabling same-day surgeries and discharges.
The Head of State acknowledged the contribution made by Mrs Zarina and thanked her for her philanthropic contribution to the development of the surgical daycare centre. He mentioned that the facility will act as preparation and recovery for patients requiring outpatient surgeries and will assist in faster management of patients, reduce congestion in the wards besides reducing pre- and post-surgical admissions as well as cut down theatre waiting times by enabling same-day surgeries and discharges.
The Zarina and Naushad Merali Foundation
The Zarina and Naushad Merali Foundation was founded by the Merali couple with the aim of helping Kenyans in need of improved healthcare and education and providing relief funding to the underprivileged sector of the society.
Mrs Zarina has also been at the heart of supporting families in West Pokot and Turkana through food aid and cash donations. Currently, she serves as the Chairperson of Sameer East Africa, a position which she took after Mr Naushad passed away, last year.