Rome, Italy - In an inspiring move to broaden its reach and impact, Europe's largest pediatric hospital, Bambino Gesù, part of the Vatican's healthcare initiatives, has launched a new project to extend its services globally. The recently established non-profit organization, Patrons of Bambino Gesù, spearheads this initiative, aiming to extend healthcare projects to the United States and beyond while also engaging in fundraising efforts.

Fabrizio Arengi Bentivoglio, the president of Patrons of Bambino Gesù, shared insights into the organization's goals and the unique characteristics of the hospital in an exclusive interview. 

"The Hospital of Bambino Gesù in Europe," explained Bentivoglio, "is a center of excellence recognized everywhere in the treatment of pediatric healthcare." 

Bentivoglio explained that the decision to expand into the U.S. was driven by the desire to create awareness of the work of Bambino Gesù Hospital, "promoting the hospital's activities in the U.S. and raising funds from American donors.'

A young institution founded in 2023, the Patrons of Bambino Gesù, focuses on supporting the activities of the hospital, which "are mainly three," as Bentivoglio described. 

The first is "Humanitarian care: the hospital, which has 700 beds, treats thousands of children in Rome for free every year, which is quite a unique approach to providing healthcare to children."

"The second main area of activities is the international initiatives. Every year, we train doctors, nurses, and medical personnel in several countries around the world with trainers and doctors from Rome." At present, these training activities are on the ground in 16 countries. Training takes place in these countries and Rome. 

"The third activity is research and development. The hospital is recognized as one of the centers of excellence in research in Europe." Bentivoglio explained that the hospital carries out research in collaboration with top research centers around the world. 

The Bambino Gesù Hospital stands apart from many pediatric institutions worldwide. It stands among a class of institutions that furthers research, but most significantly, the hospital provides free, high-standard medical care. This is a unique feature. The hospital takes care of children from all over the world, children in need who could otherwise not obtain the same level of healthcare in their home countries.

"For example," Bentivoglio noted, "since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 2,000 Ukrainian children have been treated in Rome." Families have hosted these children because "children need to be taken care of not only from a medical perspective," Bentivoglio added, "but also from a personal perspective." 

The reach of the hospital is global. Five hundred children are coming to Rome from Gaza to be treated away from the war zone and provided the highest quality of healthcare for free. 

The Patrons of Bambino Gesù will continue their work to support the hospital, which stands as a beacon of hope, symbolizing a significant stride towards accessible and high-quality healthcare for children worldwide. 

Adapted by Jacob Stein