Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) recently sent a medical convoy to the Palestinian territories in order to build the capacity of medical staff and upgrade diagnosis and treatment techniques at Jenin Hospital in the West Bank.
With a budget of $99,444 (or QR362,970), the project is implemented in co-ordination with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Palestine’s Ministry of Health (MoH).
The medical team comprised Dr Wasfi Jameel Hamad, chest medicine and intensive care consultant, and Dr Mohamed al-Hitto, neurology consultant.
During a meeting, the doctors were introduced to the medical staff by the hospital’s manager, Dr Naji Nizal, and the medical director, Dr Wissam Bakr. They discussed all existing cases of hospitalisation.


Examination of a hospitalisation case


Arthroscopy radiofrequency generator

Then, Dr Hamad took a tour of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), reviewed their treatment plans with the medical staff and advised them on the ICU best practices. At the Department of Internal Medicine, he gave a demonstration for the staff on how to diagnose some cases.
Meanwhile, Dr al-Hitto visited the Department of Neurology, and together with the neurologist working there, he examined eight cases on the first day and 15 on the second day.
A lecture was delivered to a group of student doctors at An-Najah National University, covering the effective diagnosis and treatment of certain cases, such as neurological orders, neuropathy and muscular dystrophy. In the evening, another lecture was delivered on the latest advances in neurology.
Dr al-Hitto said he was happy to be in Palestine for the first time, being part of such a noble endeavour to support the suffering Palestinian health sector. “The real value of knowledge is to disseminate it. I appreciate the role of HMC and QRCS in contributing many projects in order to bridge the gap in resources, medical staffing, rehabilitation of health facilities and high-tech medical supplies,” he added.
Dr Nizal said, “I would like to thank QRCS for its ongoing support for two years now. Its medical equipment has helped reduce the waiting lists of patients. This project will provide essential in-service training and guidance for 30 physicians, nurses and technicians."
He wished that this effort would be expanded not only to other departments, but also to other MoH hospitals. “The only CT scanner we have was donated by QRCS around 15 years ago,” Dr Nizal recalled.
This project is part of an extended programme to launch 23 medical convoys for several countries. It also donated vital medical equipment, including an arthroscopy radiofrequency generator, an auto-CPAP machine for neonatal ICU and an ECG machine, QRCS said in a statement. Another four medical devices are to be procured soon.
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