Modern HOSPICE Casa Sperantei opens doors in Bucharest
Bucharest, September 2014 – It is estimated that more than 60,000 Romanians die of cancer every year. There are over 15,000 patients in need of palliative help in the capital city of Bucharest alone. In 2013, Habitat for Humanity partnered with HOSPICE Casa Sperantei to help build in Bucharest a new center for patients diagnosed with incurable diseases. The construction is complete and the new hospice opens on September 19, 2014.
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei was founded in 1992 as the first Romanian charity dedicated to improve the care of patients diagnosed with incurable diseases and their families. It was the first medical foundation in the country to specialize in caring for such patients, especially children and youth.
In the middle of 2013, Wienerberger, the world’s leading brick producers, joined this project and supported it by donating Porotherm bricks, lintels and cement, as well as transport for all these materials used at the construction stage.
“Our partnership with Wienerberger and Habitat for Humanity is an example of efficient and heartfelt cooperation between nonprofit organizations and companies. The building of the new hospice in Bucharest was, from the very beginning a challenge, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy to come up with the funds so Wienerberger’s reaching out to us and generously offering all the bricks for the new building plus additional materials was indeed a huge help”, said executive director of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, Alexandru Padureanu.
“Not only we managed to make important savings but we also received a much better product than what we had initially budgeted for”, added Padureanu.
The building is three stories high and its total surface is 3,000 square meters. As soon as its opens, the center will provide care in the bed unit for 700 patients, day care facilities with 5,000 attendances, home care with over 11,000 home visits, out-patient clinic with over 8,000 consultations and specialist support services for breast care, stoma and lymphedema.
“As one of the world’s leading provider of building materials and solutions, we have set ourselves the goal of supporting the creation of housing for socially disadvantaged people. Since 2012 we have been advancing this goal in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity by building homes for people in need. I am very proud that we were able to contribute substantially to the realization of the new HOSPICE Casa Sperantei inpatient unit– an institution which is desperately needed in Bucharest as it serves children and adults diagnosed with incurable diseases together with their families as an adequate and dignified space during a very difficult time. We are humbled to be part of that, because we know: For them every day counts,” says CEO of Wienerberger Heimo Scheuch.
In 2012, Wienerberger and Habitat for Humanity International, the world leader in addressing issues of poverty housing, launched a cooperation to help vulnerable families in Romania and Bulgaria gain a simple, decent place to live. Since then the partnership has provided an energy efficient solution not only for the new hospice building but also for homes, school and a house for disabled.
“Having a place to live means huge improvements in the families’ health, education, welfare and their overall well-being. We are grateful to partner with Wienerberger and join forces with HOSPICE Casa Sperantei on opening a new center for patients diagnosed with incurable diseases. These patients and their families are in urgent need of the new medical facility and physical treatment, but furthermore they also need an important psychological and emotional support” says Carl Drexler, Resource Development Director at Habitat for Humanity, Europe, Middle East and Africa
About Wienerberger AG
Wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) as well as number one on the clay roof tile market (Koramic, TONDACH) in Europe and on the concrete paver market (Semmelrock) in Central-East Europe. In pipe systems (Steinzeug-Keramo ceramic pipes and Pipelife plastic pipes), the company is one of the market leaders in Europe. With 212 plants, Wienerberger generated revenues of 2,663 million and operating EBITDA of 267 million in 2013.
About HOSPICE Case Sperantei
HOSPICE Casa Speranței (www.hospice.ro) is the largest medical non-profit organization in Romania, which offers free of charge palliative care services to children and adults with incurable diseases in Bucharest, Brasov, Fagaras and Zarnesti. HOSPICE is offering free of charge services since 1992 and has been designated a centre of excellence for Eastern Europe.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that safe and affordable housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat has helped more than 4 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976. Habitat also advocates for fair and just housing policies and provides training and access to resources to help more families improve their shelter conditions. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To get more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitateurope.org.