A Kidney Dialysis Unit Inaugurated at PRCS’ Safad Hospital in Lebanon

 (Beirut- 17/3/2017):  PRCS’ President Dr. Younis Al Khatib inaugurated a kidney dialysis unit at Safad Hospital in Al Badawi Camp in northern Lebanon. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several officials representing the PLO, members of Palestinian Popular Committees in Northern Lebanon, donors and hospital staff. The Unit was co-funded by UNRWA, UNICEF, the Welfare Association/Lebanon, Islamic Relief Worldwide, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and the Medical Relief Society.

In his speech, Dr. Al Khatib said that PRCS continues to fulfil its humanitarian mission and mandate. “Future projects include support to and development of the Fathi Arafat Centre in Nahr el Bared refugee camp, the maintenance and development of Safad Hospital and the construction of the new PRCS’ Haifa Hospital in Burj al Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut. This new dialysis unit is an important step towards improving services provided to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon”, he added.

Mohamad Fayyad, PLO representative in northern Lebanon, said PRCS has been providing health services to Palestinians since its creation in 1968. The new dialysis unit, he added, will help patients and their families who cannot afford the cost of treatment for kidney failure.

The new unit will offer dialysis services to more than 30 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon or displaced from Syria, many of whom were unable to afford the cost of treatment in private hospitals close to their homes and had to go to Sidon for treatment.

Ibrahim Jaber (52) who has to undergo periodic dialysis said: “this new unit in northern Lebanon is a great achievement that will help patients and their families. I require dialysis treatment three times per week and this unit will save me much time and effort as well as at least 100 dollars per month that I used to spend on transportation”.

The new unit is equipped with seven dialysis machines, a state-of-the-art intensive care unit that allows doctors to monitor seriously ill patients before they are admitted to hospital, an isolation unit for infectious diseases and a room equipped with a dialysis water purification and treatment system. It will be run by a PRCS’ medical team who received training over a period of more than 6 months in several Lebanese hospitals.

End.