Dar Al Hanan addresses a critical need of parents accompanying children to Royal Hospital for cancer treatment by providing them with family accommodation. A total of 16 residential units are available to offer this facility.

The centre provides accommodation during treatment and ensures patients follow treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) on a regular basis. Volunteers at the centre provide moral support and help with administrative procedures related to healthcare and counseling to overcome the trauma of the critical illness.

Shaima Murtadha Al Lawati, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), said: “In view of the urgent need to establish a centre to accommodate children undergoing cancer treatment, BankMuscat is happy to support Dar Al Hanan in the fight against cancer. Presently, no other facilities are available to accommodate child patients and their families during lengthy cancer treatment. Six per cent of cancer patients in Oman are children aged below 14 years. Lack of facilities hampers access to proper medical care and as a result some patients do not undergo treatment regularly or even abandon treatment, which increases the chance of recurrence and death. We are happy to address this issue by supporting Dar Al Hanan.”

Yuther Al Rawahi, Founder and Honorary Life President of NACA, said: “This initiative would not have been possible without the support of BankMuscat. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the Sultanate and we hope through this project various organisations and corporates will come forward to support us and enable us to achieve our objectives.”

BankMuscat is the first Omani bank to establish a full-fledged CSR department in Oman. Considered among core values, the CSR policy stems from the Bank’s strong belief in the importance of social responsibility. The Bank is of the view that its social responsibility is not merely participation in charitable works and organisation of voluntary campaigns, but responsibility towards all-round development of society.