Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO); Mr. Abdellah Al Ghariri, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of Morocco; and Mr. Mustapha Mansouri, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, paid a visit to the Rabat-based National Center for Rehabilitation and Neurosciences (CNRNS) of the Hassan II Foundation for Prevention and Fight against Nervous System Diseases to learn about the Center’s services.

During this visit, Dr. Abdesslam El Khamlichi, President of the Foundation, provided ample explanations about the Center and all the sorts of treatment it provides to patients, including surgeries and radiographic procedures. He also pointed out that the Center does not only offer treatment but also carries out studies and research works on nervous system diseases and provides training to African doctors to be eligible for higher specialized degrees in neurosurgery.

To consolidate these efforts, Dr. AlMalik announced that ICESCO would allocate 10 scholarships annually for the training and qualification of doctors from African Member States at CNRNS in this vital specialty to be able to serve their countries after the end of their training. Dr. El Khamlichi hailed the initiative and reaffirmed his appreciation for ICESCO’s considerable role in its fields of competence.

Dr. AlMalik and Dr. El Khamlichi agreed to sign an agreement between ICESCO and CNRNS to manage these scholarships and define their eligibility criteria, in coordination with the Center and the Organization.

It is worth noting that the National Center for Rehabilitation and Neurosciences (CNRNS) was established by Hassan II Foundation for Prevention and Fight against Nervous System Diseases, in cooperation with the Moroccan Health Ministry, and Ibn Sina University Hospital Center. Opened in 2010, the Center was designed to respond to the urgent need for kinesiotherapy and physical therapy for patients with nervous system diseases at their advanced stages. It is also the expression of the will of some international institutions such as the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to turn Morocco into a “model center for the training of African neurological surgeons”.