Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has announced a set of planned health projects, to be co-implemented by its representation office in the West Bank and Al-Quds and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
The QR2.1mn projects are aimed at enhancing the resources of Palestinian hospitals in Al-Quds, supporting the public health sector, improving the quality of services provided by the hospitals, ensuring timely medical response to patients and building the capacity of PRCS, according to a press statement by QRCS.
Over a decade, QRCS has implemented 45 health, relief, development and economic projects in the West Bank and Al-Quds, serving up to 840,000 beneficiaries, at a total cost of $6mn.
One major project to be funded by QRCS and implemented by its representation office involves purchasing new medical equipment for the Makassed Islamic Charitable Society, the backbone of the Palestinian health sector.
This historic medical facility is badly in need of support in order to continue to offer significant and effective services for all the patients with severe health problems. In particular, the departments of paediatric surgery, intensive care and central laboratory lack much-needed medical equipment.
The list of procurements includes ventilators, lab microscopes, syringe pumps and ultrasound machines. These devices, which are worth $250,000, will raise the quality of health services and accelerate diagnosis and treatment.
A total of 8,500 patients will be served by the new equipment per year, including 160 patients at the department of paediatric heart surgery, 160 at the intensive care unit and 3,600 at the lab, as well as 4,500 patients to benefit from the syringe pumps.
Another project on QRCS’s agenda is to purchase drugs for Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH). Costing $117,000, these medications will help treat 4,000 cancer patients per year and ease their pain.
Currently managing eight health care centres, AVH is the only hospital taking care of cancer patients in the West Bank, Gaza, and Al-Quds. The inadequate financial resources do not allow the hospital to secure such expensive drugs, with the risk of being unable to continue in operation. "For the patients, this definitely means serious health complications and perhaps ultimately death," QRCS said.
Further, $182,950 will be allocated to purchase two ambulances for the PRCS Ambulance and Emergency Centre. Then, the two vehicles will be fully equipped, and the cost of running will be covered for six months, including fuel, maintenance, insurance, licensing, radios and payments for the first responders, the statement adds.
Normally, the new ambulances are estimated to help 4,800 victims of accidents per month. The number will be higher at times of emergency.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in mid-February, PRCS declared a state of emergency (Alert Level 3) for all its branches, facilities and personnel.
To help the Palestinian peer create a safe and protected environment, QRCS contributed $400,000 to purchase vital signs monitors for 13 ambulances used in the coronavirus control efforts. Also, PRCS’s warehouses will be supplied with medications and consumables, which will be a great help for the Ministry of Health as it is struggling to fight the pandemic.
Zeina Hamoud, acting director of QRCS’s office in the West Bank and Al-Quds, said this bunch of projects would enormously build the capacity of Palestinian hospitals and PRCS. “We are strategic partners of PRCS, seeking to develop its resources,” said Hamoud. “We work closely together and share the same strategy and vision in relation to various humanitarian issues. Our goal is to best serve the community and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people."