03 August 2006

During the present crisis in Gaza, a four man medical team brought back details of the poor situation facing patients requiring emergency medical care. With only two functioning emergency departments, one in Rafah and one in Khan Younis and with neither having adequate facilities or adequately trained staff, emergency and other patients face a long, dangerous and expensive journey to Jordan .

To overcome these obstacles DWW has undertaken to train 5-6 key workers in Gaza to the level of becoming trauma trainers, they will be given this training at an internationally renowned centre in Istanbul , following which local training courses for further staff can be run by them on their return.

DWW has also begun looking for partners and donations to help upgrade the facilities at Khan Younis hospital, it requires a new anaesthetic and x-ray machine as well as a CT scanner. With this improved equipment many more laparotomies and much more emergency work can be carried out without the need for unnecessary and dangerous transfers outside of Palestine . If funding for the equipment can be found, DWW will then commit to training and managing staff to make the most use out of the diagnostic improvements.

http://www.doctorsworldwide.org/donate.shtml