Support Services For Palestinian Hospitals In East Jerusalem, The UAE Will Disburse Assistance Of IDR 386 Billion

Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem. (Wikimedia Commons/Ameen Rammal)

JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement worth US$25 million or around Rp386,688,750,000, to support Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem.

UAE president Sheikh Mohamed promised the money, which will be used to maintain hospital services, in July this year.

The agreement is part of the UAE's ongoing efforts to support Palestinian health institutions (WHO), in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the UN Special Coordinating Office for the Middle East Peace Process.

Hospitals with a capacity of 250 beds and founded in 1968, played a major role in providing health services to the Palestinian people.

Services include cardiology, orthopedics, pediatric medicine and neurology, in addition to comprehensive general health care.

This hospital also functions as an educational hospital, as well as a research facility for the Faculty of Medicine, Al Quds University.

In this regard, WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his gratitude to the UAE for the donations given.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that health is not a luxury item, but a human right and is a center of development," he said, quoted by The National News Oct. 18.

"We thank the United Arab Emirates for its generous donations, its main role, and commitment to increasing the provision of quality health services for the Palestinian people," continued Dr. Tedros.

Meanwhile, Sultan Al Shamsi, assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs of the UAE, said the agreement reflected the UAE's consistent and historic commitment to the Palestinian people, in meeting their humanitarian needs, particularly in the health sector, the Wam News Agency reported.

He said more than 130,000 people would benefit from the services of Al Makassed Hospital.

Separately, Lynnai, the UN resident coordinator for the Palestinian Population Area, thanked the UAE for its "timely and generous support." He said it would help ensure essential health services are sustainable in hospitals.

As for Dr. Rik airperkorn, head of the World Health Organization's Office for the West Bank and Gaza, said the agreement was critical in maintaining critical and emergency essential health services in hospitals, including referral cases.

It will also improve the quality of the obstetrics and gynecology department and assist in medical specialist training for the entire Palestinians.