Making Hope Happen

By: Raed Al Nims

If you wander inside PRCS’ Al Quds Hospital in the Gaza Strip, you will see a number of hearing-impaired children playing there, their faces lit with innocent smiles. These are the children who underwent cochlear implant surgeries aimed at restoring the hearing they have lost as a result of hereditary factors or accidents. The surgeries were performed by a medical team from Qatar in cooperation with PRCS’ Al Quds hospital.

Both the children and their parents hope that these implants will enable them to live a better, fuller and more beautiful life and to become more active and engaged in their communities, just like their peers.

Ahmad Labad (32) who is from Gaza City and has two hearing-impaired children, Nada (7) and Mohamad (5), said: “I brought my two children to Al Quds hospital so they would undergo cochlear surgery which will hopefully restore part of their hearing and enable them to enjoy their childhood. The hospital offers excellent services and its medical teams are extremely attentive. I now have two very happy children whose hearing will soon improve and whose smiles will hopefully replace the sad and helpless looks they used to have”. 

Mohamad Abou Dakka (5) is from Bani Suhayla. His mother spoke about her son’s condition as follows: “Mohamad was born deaf. This caused us great pain and turned him into an introverted child who refused to play with other children. He recently underwent cochlear surgery and I pray to God that his hearing will be restored soon. Our hope has been rekindled”.

PRCS’ Al Quds hospital welcomed these children, offered them its medical know-how and allowed them access to a skillful medical team from Qatar. The Qatari team worked free-of-charge in coordination with the Hamad Bin Khalifa Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthesis. Al Quds hospital provided the necessary check-ups, laboratory tests, treatment, hospital beds and follow-up. It also put two operating theatres at the team’s disposal.

Tasneem Hijazi (5) is from Rafah. Her father spoke about the services offered by the hospital: “We were surprised by the advanced level of services here. Doctors and nurses are highly qualified and professional. They treated us in an extremely humane way, making us feel at home. Medical care and follow-up at Al Quds hospital are of the highest quality”.

In all, 22 children were given renewed hope thanks to the generosity of the Qatari Team and of teams at PRCS Al Quds hospital. The cochlear implant surgeries were performed over one full week and brought the smile back to the faces of children and parents alike.  Once they recover in few days or weeks at the most, these children will be able to live, play and learn in a better way.

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