PRCS’ Branch in Qalqilia: an ongoing Partnership with the Princess Basma Centre

 By: Faysal Abou Saleh

The Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre at PRCS’ branch in Qalqilia continues to receive rehabilitation specialists from the Princess Basma Centre in Jerusalem who organize free medical days targeting children with disabilities.

Organised since mid-2014, these medical days aim at diagnosing and helping children with disabilities resulting from cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism, spina bifida as well as motor disabilities. Some children are then referred to the Princess Basma Centre in Jerusalem for further treatment while others receive treatment at PRCS’ Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center in Qalqilia. A number of children receive help and are monitored at home in cooperation with their parents who receive appropriate training to this end.

Specialists from the Princess Basma Centre visit the branch once every month to run check-ups on children under the age of 15, monitor their treatment plans and exchange experiences with the branch’s team. Around 10-15 children from Qalqilia Governorate are seen by the Centre’s specialists every month.

Faysal Abou Saleh, Head of the Society’s branch in Qalqilia, welcomed this cooperation aimed at helping children with disabilities. He said it offers them the possibility to receive treatment and regular checks, and helps parents by providing these services closer to home.

Ayman Abou Hantash, Director of PRCS’ Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre, said this cooperation also benefits the Centre’s staff who gain experience, get acquainted with different types of disabilities and learn how to deal with them.

Dr. Waddah Malhis, Medical Director at the Princess Basma Centre, said the Centre was proud of its ongoing partnership with PRCS in general and the Society’s Qalqilia branch in particular over the past three years.

Princess Basma Centre was created in 1965 with a view to empowering children with disabilities and their families and to integrating them in their communities. It runs a comprehensive rehabilitation program for children under 15 in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Program adopts a modern approach and includes an intensive treatment period during which children and their mothers live at the Centre for 2-3 weeks. During this period, children follow an intensive treatment plan while their mothers learn how to handle their children and cater to their needs.

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