Sherif Qandil, a Palestinian father from Gaza, stood at the door of an operating theatre in Al-Quds Hospital, waiting for good news about his young daughter.
The seven-year-old girl was being operated on by a Qatari medical delegation, to have a cochlear device surgically implanted into her head.
“Since her birth, Malak suffered severe sensorineural hearing loss,” said Qandil. “All our attempts to help her hear again were to no avail. Just when she was examined at His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prostheses, it was found that she needed a surgery.”
He wished that his daughter would be able to hear, speak and play with her friends. “I pray for her to start going to school, as she has the passion and high spirits,” he added.
Commenting on the sixth visit by the Qatari medical delegation to Gaza, Dr Abdul-Salam al-Qahtani, head of ENT and Cochlear Implants at Hamad Medical Corporation and board member of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), said: “This time, we are going to perform 25-30 cochlear implants. Consequently, the total number of children to benefit from the cochlear implant programme will reach a total of 130 since its launch in 2016.”
He valued the contributions of all partners, particularly physicians and nurses at Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s Al-Quds Hospital, as well as the Department of Audiology at His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Hospital, for their efforts to select and prioritise the beneficiaries.
“Looking ahead, we are planning to rely totally on the Palestinian surgeons in Gaza to perform the cochlear implants. During the current mission, we are giving them a greater opportunity to take part in the operations, with guidance from the Qatari physicians,” Dr al-Qahtani said.
Dr Akram Nassar, head of the QRCS representation office in Gaza, noted that this visit is part of a QRCS-supported programme that addresses a wide range of issues related to hearing disability.
“These include neonatal screening for hearing deficiencies at primary healthcare centres, providing hearing aid for any disability cases detected and performing cochlear implants if required,” he explained.
The QR26mn programme is aimed at enhancing programmed screening and intervention for hearing disability in Gaza.
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