RCSI Bahrain and the Muharraq Governorate have joined forces on the basis of community partnership to collaborate on projects that serve the Kingdom of Bahrain, and in particular the people of Muharraq Governorate, where the University’s campus is located. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Governor of Muharraq, His Excellency Mr Salman bin Isa bin Hindi Al Mannai and President of RCSI Bahrain, Professor Sameer Otoom, during a meeting held at the University's campus.

As per the terms of the agreement, RCSI Bahrain and the Muharraq Governorate will coordinate on joint activities, seminars and events that serve the people of the Governorate, RCSI Bahrain students and the goals of the Healthy Cities programme, which is headed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and aims to place health at the top of the agenda of cities around the world. RCSI Bahrain President, Professor Otoom commented, “This agreement consolidates the cooperative relationship between RCSI Bahrain and the Muharraq Governorate, which reflects the University’s commitment to expanding its network of community partners and increasing volunteering opportunities for its students. The agreement also comes in support of the Healthy Cities programme of the World Health Organization in the Kingdom of Bahrain, through which we aim to encourage the local community to participate in addressing health and environmental problems to achieve sustainable development goals at all social, health and economic levels.”

The Governor highlighted that the Muharraq Governorate enjoys a high-level health infrastructure represented by the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and the Bahrain Oncology Centre (BOC), in addition to the health centres, clinics and private hospitals, which is considered a great leap in the quality of medical services offered at the Muharraq Governorate. His Excellency also expressed his pride in the role played by RCSI Bahrain as a leader in medical education and welcomed all students of different nationalities in their second country, Bahrain, as the University has become a destination for advanced educational tourism, with its modern equipment and qualified, experienced and distinguished faculty.

Deputy Governor and Deputy Head of the Coordinating Committee for Healthy Cities, His Excellency Brigadier Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Jeeran, affirmed that through the memorandum of understanding, the Governorate seeks to increase its partnerships and enhance the role of community organisations and individuals, to achieve the goals of the Healthy Cities programme.

Health Promotion Director at the Ministry of Health, Dr Wafaa Al-Sharbiti, also conveyed the greetings of the Minister of Health, Her Excellency Faeqa bint Saeed Al-Saleh and her appreciation for all the efforts made in implementing the Healthy Cities programme in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

During the meeting, RCSI Bahrain’s Head of Estates and Support Services, Mr Mohammed Abdulla, presented initiatives undertaken by RCSI Bahrain to achieve Sustainable Development goals of the United Nations of ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’ and ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’, through several projects. These include the University’s plan to install solar panels in the campus parking area to reduce energy consumption and encourage students to reduce all forms of waste and use recycling bins. RCSI Bahrain has also planted 39 new trees on its campus in 2021 and has commenced several health and environmental initiatives to make the campus environment more sustainable.

The signing ceremony was attended by Deputy Governor and Deputy Head of the Coordinating Committee for Healthy Cities, His Excellency Brigadier Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Jeeran; Health Promotion Director at the Ministry of Health, Dr Wafaa Al-Sharbiti; Director of Social Affairs Programmes at the Muharraq Governorate, Mr Adnan Muhammad Al Sada; Head of Public Relations at the Muharraq Governorate, Mr Fawaz Al-Abdullah and Coordinator of Healthy Cities programme at the Muharraq Governorate, Ms Nada Al-Murbati.

From RCSI Bahrain, the signing ceremony was attended by Chief Operating Officer of RCSI Bahrain, Mr Stephen Harrison-Mirfield; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Head of School of Medicine Professor Alfred Nicholson; Head of Estates and Support Services, Mr Mohammed Abdulla; Recognition, Careers and Alumni Manager, Mr Fadi Ghosn; Communications Manager, Ms Celine Durand; Senior Communications Specialist, Ms Christina Gallagher and Communications Specialist Ms Doaa Magdy.