Khan Younis branch

PRCS Khan Younis Branch was established in November 1994, with the inception of the Palestinian National Authority. Ever since its creation, the branch has taken it upon itself to fulfill the health and social needs of Palestinians.

Branch Services and Programs:

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

The branch’s EMS center was created in 1998. It now employs 31 emergency medical technicians and operates around the clock to serve Palestinians, mainly to transport those wounded in car accidents, sick people and Palestinians wounded during Israeli attacks.

• Primary Health Care (PHC)

 Al Mawasi Clinic: Created in 1998, this clinic provides various medical services to Palestinians in Al Mawasi. It is manned by a GP and operates a laboratory and a pharmacy. Around 7934 patients are treated at the clinic annually.

 Ma’an Clinic: Created in February 2000, the clinic employs a medical team comprising 15 volunteers. The clinic receives patients in the mornings and afternoons, and provides dental and laboratory services, as well as a gynecology and obstetrics clinic and a general doctor. A total of 24298 patients are served by the clinic on an annual basis.

 Community-based health program: This program employs a social worker and holds awareness-raising courses for the local population, mainly for women. It also organizes home visits to elderly persons, patients suffering from diabetes and other chronic diseases. Safe Motherhood Committees cooperate with this section to implement various community-based health activities.

• Al Amal Hospital

Inaugurated in 1997, Al Amal hospital provides therapeutic and PHC services to southern Khan Younis areas. The hospital operates various state-of-the-art clinics which cover the following specialties: general surgery, eye surgery, urology, Ear, Nose and Throat surgery, neurology, bone surgery, endoscopy, hearing tests and hearing aid section, dermatology, gynecology and obstetrics, dental clinic and laboratory.

•  Youths and Volunteers

A total of 1000 volunteers, mainly recent graduates, work in the branch’s various sections. They oversee Summer Camps targeting young boys and girls during which disabled children are usually integrated with their peers.

• Psychosocial Support

This Program started in 2004. It aims at promoting psychosocial health among community members. The program provides psychological and guidance services to the inhabitants of southern and remote areas with a view to alleviating psychosocial pressure and painful accumulating traumas. The program also runs several activities including awareness-raising psychosocial workshops and open fun days for children.

•  Al Amal City for Ability Development

Al Amal City was inaugurated in 1996 by late President Yasser Arafat. It comprises:
-Ability Development College: This University College is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education. It is the only College in the oPt which offers a B.A degree in special education and in the rehabilitation of persons with special needs.

- A Rehabilitation Center: This Center aims at integrating disabled persons in the local community, enhancing their skills, developing general and rehabilitation curricula based on their needs and promoting their talents by ensuring they participate at events, activities and summer camps. Its objective is to strengthen collective work, leadership and integration as well as to network and coordinate with relevant institutions and ministries to support disabled persons and to help them obtain their rights and find appropriate work opportunities.

The center provides rehabilitation, therapeutic and psychosocial services to persons with disabilities. It comprises the following sections and facilities:

• Nursery and Kindergarten for children under 5 years of age;
•  PRCS’ school (grades 1 to 12), including a section for hearing-impaired pupils and another for slow learners;
• Special Education Section for children with mental disabilities;
•  Home Enrichment Program, which offers home care services to persons with severe mental disabilities;
•  Production workshops including embroidery, tailoring, bamboo, carpet and frame production workshops;
• Therapeutic services offered by a social worker, a psychologist, speech therapists and physiotherapists;
•  Recreational activities including computer and music activities, drawing, a games’ library, a choir, and the Foursan folkloric dance troupe for the hearing-impaired;
•  Open Studio, which focuses on the rehabilitation process and aims at helping children express themselves through story-telling, puppet and silent theatre shows, drawing and drama.

• Sports Activities

PRCS’ pays special attention to sports in general and to sports practiced by persons with disabilities in particular. In this regard:

• PRCS started its own sports teams for persons with physical, vision, hearing and mental impairments, becoming the only institution in Palestine to do so.
• PRCS’ teams took part in 7 different competitions in sports disciplines recognized by the Palestinian Paralympic Committee, winning medals and coming in first in several of them including:
• The First Basketball Championship (2016) organized by the Palestinian Paralympic Committee under the auspices of ICRC;
•  The wheelchair basketball championship (2015) organized by the Palestinian Paralympic Committee under the auspices of ICRC to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities;
• The 2014 Basketball Championship organized in Al Amal City Sports Hall by the Palestinian Paralympic Committee under the auspices of ICRC to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities;
•  2009, 2010 and 2011 Table Tennis Championships organized by the Palestinian Paralympic Committee;
• 2010 Gaza Strip Wheelchair Volleyball Championship;
• 2013 and 2014 GoalBall Championship.

Moreover, the PRCS’ team achieved good results at the Swimming Championship organized by the Swimming Federation. It also participated in regional wheelchair volleyball championships in Egypt and Syria, achieving good results. It is worth noting that PRCS was the first institution to introduce wheelchair volleyball in Palestine.