The Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) has signed a three-year consecutive partnership agreement with the local Al Asmakh Charity Foundation, to study, establish, equip, and furnish a new hospital at Dura, (in the Hebron Governorate) of the West Bank. This is being done in co-ordination with the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The hospital is estimated to cost $21.7mn (QR78.97mn), with Al Asmakh Charity contributing $3mn (QR 10.91mn) and pledging to solicit more donations over the three years of the project. On its part, the QRC will undertake all field works, through three construction phases and four furnishing and operation phases.
The agreement was signed by QRC Secretary General Saleh bin Ali al-Mohannadi and Chairman of Al Asmakh Charity Dr Ghanem bin Mohamed al-Hamadi.
Al Asmakh Charity board adviser Jassem Salem al-Ansari and Programme director Ibrahim Mohamed were also present.
The hospital aims to provide healthcare services to the residents of the southern West Bank where there are no hospitals now to serve the 500,000 population.
Every day, many patients die owing to their inability to reach Hebron, where the nearest medical facility is currently located. A 21,000sq m plot of land was allocated for the project by a Palestinian donor, in a strategic place in the middle of southern towns.
The 200-bed hospital will serve the towns of Hebron, As Samu’, Dura, Dhahiriya, and Yatta, as well as the Fawwar refugee camp.
Al-Mohannadi said: “Signing the partnership agreement with Al Asmakh Charity is a new milestone of co-operation between the two organisations in pursuit of their common humanitarian mission, in light of Al Asmakh’s great efforts in community mobilisation and support in Palestine, as well as QRC’s on-the-ground presence and many relief and development projects for our dear Palestinians.”
“Through its government and non-government organisations, it has often stood by the people both at times of peace and war, including during the latest war on Gaza,” he said.
While thanking the charity Dr al-Hamadi said: “This is not something new for them as they are always leading in charity and humanitarian action.”
“Undoubtedly, Palestine is the Arab’s major cause. Ever since our establishment, Al Asmakh Charity has sought to adopt a strategic plan to support its people with a practical, well-designed approach to improving all aspects of their life, principally education, healthcare, and development. Today’s deal is one part of a whole package of support, under which many projects have already been executed in the Palestinian territories, and still more are under study or in progress.”
QRC and Asmakh Charity officials at the signing ceremony.
