Following a brief ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 27 September, Stefan Zimmerli officially took up his duties as Medical Coordinator of Newlands Clinic. A specialist in infectious diseases and Attending Staff Physician at the University Clinic for Infectious Diseases at Inselspital Bern, he has been carefully getting acquainted with his new role since autumn 2016. He will spend several months per year on site, and will run Newlands Clinic together with Matthias Widmaier, who is responsible for administration. Together they can call on a team that now numbers more than 70 local staff.
Important impetus for the future
Ruedi Lüthy, who set up the Foundation and Newlands Clinic, said: “Stefan Zimmerli has got to know the clinic in detail over the past year, and is greatly appreciated by the team. Providing comprehensive care and support to our HIV patients is something that is as close to his heart as it is to mine, and I am certain that with his wealth of experience, he will provide important impetus to the ongoing development of the clinic.”
Board of Trustees member Martin Fuhrer said: “We are delighted that Newlands Clinic is in such capable and dedicated hands. It is essential that everything possible is done to continue the fight against HIV/Aids. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to wish both Stefan Zimmerli and Matthias Widmaier all the very best and every success in their crucial roles.”
Prof. Ruedi Lüthy will continue to play an active role from Switzerland and in Zimbabwe, providing advice on medical matters where required. His daughter Sabine Lüthy runs the foundation’s office in Switzerland.