Gaza: HH The Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza, funded by Qatar Fund for Development, has resumed the provision of its services for patients and the wounded.
According to Qatar News Agency, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Fahad Al Sulaiti, highlighted the hospital's reopening as a significant step amidst challenging conditions in Gaza. He acknowledged the severe deterioration of the healthcare sector and emphasized the hospital's role as a vital support system for the local population.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Hadi, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hamad Hospital, noted that the hospital would resume services despite operating at 70% capacity and facing losses of $4.5 million. The decision to reopen followed a ceasefire, after the hospital had to halt operations during the aggression on Gaza.
Ahmed Naim, the hospital's General Director, mentioned that rehabilitation efforts were undertaken with limited resources. He stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration with partners and international organizations to acquire necessary medical equipment, ensuring the hospital can provide high-quality healthcare services.
The QFFD outlined a three-phase strategy to ensure continued service provision. The initial phase involves clearing rubble and using existing materials to manufacture prosthetics, addressing the needs of approximately 4,500 new amputees and 2,000 existing cases. Audiology services for children with cochlear implants will also be restarted.
The second phase, projected to last two weeks, will see the reopening of outpatient clinics for specialized rehabilitation services. These include rehabilitation for strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and various other conditions. Outpatient services, such as physiotherapy and speech therapy, will resume, catering to around 24,000 injured individuals.
In the third phase, inpatient rehabilitation services will be reintroduced for those recovering from different injuries. Since its opening in April 2019, the hospital has served over 40,000 patients and individuals with disabilities until the recent conflict.