On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance partnered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to provide 3,000 food baskets to underprivileged families, registered with the Ministry's Social Welfare and Family Welfare Agency. This year, orphans who are covered under Bupa Arabia's Free Health Insurance Program will help in preparing and distributing the baskets to enforce their sense of giving. The Undersecretary of the Social Welfare and Family Welfare Agency Dr. Abdullah Al-Wahaibi valued Bupa's initiative which involves orphans in preparing and distributing the baskets under the supervision and coordination of the Agency, adding: "This is a caring gesture from Bupa Arabia, and it promotes a sense of belonging among orphans while cultivating the principles of giving, communication and closeness between them and the society." He added that the initiative supports what the company has been offering orphans for years. More than 2,600 orphans, living in more than 47 homes across the Kingdom, benefit from Bupa Arabia's Free Health Insurance Program. The program includes divorced orphans and widows who return to live with their children in social care homes. Eng. Loay Hisham Nazer, chairman of Bupa Arabia's Board of Directors, said: "Orphans will be joining hands to assemble and distribute baskets to the families as a way for them to feel the pride of giving during the holy month. We've also extended this to our employees, who collectively provided for 411 food baskets. We hope that we make real and positive impact through this initiative." Bupa Arabia was the first company to offer free health insurance for residents of "Dar Al-Rafeef" in 2011. Three years later, in 2014, the program expanded to cover all orphans residing in shelters supervised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. "We believe that in order to provide a proactive role in the society, we need to provide more than just health insurance, we should aim to become the healthcare partner for every orphan in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we like them to know that we are always by their side," Eng. Nazer said, pointing out that orphans receive special treatment and the same services as some VIP clients. The Free Health Insurance program offers a range of quality services, including a designated hotline to receive calls and immediate assistance. Bupa Arabia also developed an integrated program that enables doctors to visit beneficiaries periodically for checkups, and it regularly organizes health education workshops to raise awareness. The program is approved by the Cooperative Health Insurance Council and covers all treatments, including plastic surgery, dermatology, and some cases that are not covered by regular health insurance. — SG
