http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/united-arab-emirates-donates-5-million-build-joplin039s-first-nicu-mercy-hospital_37946.mp3
The small, oil-rich Persian Gulf country of the United Arab Emirates is giving 5 million dollars to Mercy Hospital, Joplin. KSMU's Jennifer Moore has the details.
The money will go toward the hospital’s first neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.
The NICU will provide specialized care for sick or premature babies.
The announcement of the UAE’s gift came just days before the one-year anniversary of a tornado that killed 161 people and destroyed 8,000 buildings in Joplin, including the Mercy-owned St. John’s Regional Medical Center.
Ambassador Youssef Al Otaiba was in Joplin Friday morning for that announcement.
The United Arab Emirates has a strong track record of philanthropy in the U.S.
Weeks after the tornado, the UAE donated $1 million to provide new laptops for all 2,200 of Joplin’s high school students.
For KSMU News, I'm Jennifer Moore.