Hospital Refurbishment for Children with Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip, Morocco
Casablanca / Morocco
Why we are working on this project
For over 40 years, the international foundation Operation Smile has been a pioneer in correcting cleft lip and cleft palate conditions across the globe. Doctors and nurses come together for “missions”, volunteering for 10 days to perform operations on hundreds of children and some adults in places where this medical care is not available.
We have already partnered with Operation Smile Morocco in the creation of clinics across Morocco which offer the pre- and post-operative care necessary to change the life of every patient. While these clinics are vital for the provision of outpatient care, the operations are only performed in public hospitals that partner with Operation Smile Morocco.
One existing partner, Hôpital Bouafi in Casablanca, offered an entire floor to Operation Smile to refurbish and create new operating theatres, as well as the neonatal and paediatric intensive care wards the hospital needed.
As trusted partners of Operation Smile, and specialists in the design and construction of healthcare facilities, Article 25 were asked to work on this project, bringing our expertise of working with local partners and of seeing complex, multi-stakeholder projects through to finish.
The design
A hospital refurbishment is a complex and sensitive project to design and manage as the utmost attention must be given to keep existing services functioning for patients elsewhere in the hospital.
The entire hospital floor was gutted and rebuilt. We created two new operating theatres, a sterilization suite, a neonatal intensive care ward, a paediatric intensive care ward and staff areas for changing and resting. With the opportunity to redesign, we also focused on making the space welcoming for the children and families it serves.
A key consideration in any hospital project is protecting patient areas from external contamination and germs. As the users of this area will be children, this meant planning a visitors’ route for their families that allowed visual contact but didn’t involve entering protected spaces. Through the inclusion of large windows in the corridor and via a terrace, visiting families will be able to easily see and spend time near their children without creating any risk of exposure.
Paediatric and neo-natal units can be stressful places for families who are waiting for loved ones to recover, especially when access is restricted. With this in mind, we also designed an outside terrace for parents and medical staff, where they can sit peacefully and enjoy a space in the open air, surrounded by greenery.
The impact
As well as fulfilling the requirements needed for Operation Smile to provide life-changing surgical treatments to people with cleft lip and palate conditions, this hospital refurbishment will offer lifesaving neonatal and paediatric care to children year-round. Hundreds of children are treated every year during Operation Smile’s missions, and many hundreds more will now benefit from the emergency surgery and care facilities when this hospital floor opens in 2024.
PROJECT TYPE: Hospital refurbishment
PROJECT PARTNERS: Operation Smile Morocco
Children who have undergone life changing operations
