Developed in 2000, The ARFHSN Medical Mission is a program dedicated to supporting the Palestinian healthcare system. The mission is comprised of a group of healthcare providers who volunteer their time and effort towards the improvement of the human condition in Palestine by helping to improve the local health care system. Our health care provider volunteers completely cover their own expenses and are dedicated to transfer their knowledge to local physicians and the medical community, through active participation in the delivery of health care alongside the local medical community and through workshops and lecturing.
Impact
Through their hard work and dedication, the mission has been able to achieve many significant developments that strengthen the healthcare system in Palestine:
A new Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Health was built in Ramallah hospital, tasked with raising awareness and educating the public about cardiovascular health, while also providing new diagnostic tools for vascular health. The center had its grand opening in April of 2023.
Construction was completed on a women’s health center focused on breast cancer awareness and treatment. The center holds state-of-the-art digital mammogram units and bone density machines.
The Medical Mission collaborated with the Hannan Refugee Project to establish a Dialysis Center, which provides dialysis machines that have the ability to connect to wi-fi, making it easier for patients to take the machines home.
The physicians also offer an Emergency Room training program that trains doctors in the Ramallah hospital to better handle ER services. This has bolstered the ER services of the Ramallah program, helping thousands of Palestinians to get the emergency care they need.
The mission’s upcoming goals include building an Orthopedic Center of Excellence and a Pathology Center at the Ramallah Hospital in Palestine.
Testimony
None of the experiences in my long medical career compares with the enjoyment and satisfaction of attending the Federation Medical Mission. The mission is based on a dedicated, knowledgeable and compassionate group of physicians that travel to Ramallah every year. The quality of the equipment, facilities and supplies in Ramallah and the West Bank is lacking and advancing these is a main goal of the mission. It also shows the people in Ramallah that we care and fully support them. We try to inform the local physicians on the latest medical protocols, procedures, therapies and equipment. We have set up a residency program at Ramallah Hospital for Emergency Medicine and are involved in their training. The physicians that travel to Ramallah also put on an annual medical conference, where we lecture to the physicians in our various specialties. We regularly meet with Palestinian health officials to discuss ways to improve the quality of life there.
– Dr. Walid Kandah, F.A.C.E.P., F.A.A.F.P.
If you are interested in learning more about the ARFHSN Medical Mission or donating to the mission, visit the mission’s medical blog, or email Bajis Katwan at [email protected].
The Medical Mission is always seeking more volunteers to help in their mission to improve the health care system in Palestine. If you are a health care provider interested in joining their efforts, please contact Bajis Katwan at [email protected], or Dr. Rajai Khoury at [email protected].