PALESTINE – The Sheikh Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza, with funding from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports to support sports Medicine in the city.
The MoU was inked by the Assistant Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Abdel Salam Haniyeh, and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at HH Sheikh Hamad Hospital, Dr Khaled Abdel Hadi.
The MoU among other things, specifically notes that the Hamad Hospital will provide free healthcare services to Palestinian national team players and club teams.
Additionally, the new agreement will also contribute to the development of sports medicine speciality as well as develop joint coordination programs for the training in fields of sports medicine, physiotherapy, and nursing of Gaza healthcare professionals.
Dr Abdel Hadi acknowledged that the agreement was part and parcel of the efforts of the State of Qatar to help the Palestinian brothers to overcome the difficulties of life through the development of health sectors and various services.
Dr Hadi said that this sports medicine development, the first of its kind in the Strip, would contribute to enhancing services and providing them with the highest quality for the athletes of Gaza and Palestinian athletes in general.
Assistant Secretary-General Haniyeh extended his thanks to the State of Qatar for its continuous support to the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian official noted that the hospital represented a source of medical pride as a medical rehabilitation centre comparable to medical centres in developed countries.
The hospital, which is funded by Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD), and based on achieving work integration and facilitating the access of services to those who deserve it, has signed around 42 cooperation agreements with relevant governmental and international institutions since its operation in April 2019.
Building better healthcare systems for Palestine
QFFD inaugurated the Hamad Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip in 2019, becoming the first prosthetic hospital to open in the Palestinian city.
QFFD notes that the hospital was named after Qatar’s Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and stands as one of the most notable contributions to health globally.
Hamad Hospital has 100 beds and offers services to people who lost their limbs because of conflict or accidents.
It includes a disability rehab centre, providing easy access to Palestinians in Gaza who struggle to receive treatment in the rest of Palestine.
Moreover, children with hearing impairment or motor disabilities can find treatment in the state-of-the-art, 12,000-square-metre facility
“This hospital was built under the full supervision of [Qatar] … and in accordance with international standards, to become the largest medical institution for rehabilitation and prosthetic limbs,” said Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, director general of the QFFD at the hospitals opening in 2019.
At the time of its inauguration, more than 100 Palestinians had to undergo amputations after ongoing running battles with Israeli forces during the “Great March of Return”.
Amputations were required in 156 of the limb injuries, out of which 94 cases involved secondary amputation
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