Establishing a Special Rehabilitation Facility in Bethlehem

Palestine

The project entailed establishing a special rehabilitation facility within the Palestine Hospital in Bethlehem, Harmalah village. Its specific objective is to enhance access to rehabilitation treatment for Palestinian with disabilities. The project entailed equipping 5 rooms and providing orthopaedic material. In addition, it included a capacity building component which will ensure the project’s sustainability through the provision of training for staff to be employed at the orthopaedic department of the new facility, including technicians, specialists and physiotherapists. The project is expected to directly benefit around 140 children and adults each year, from different parts of the West Bank as well as referrals from Gaza. The project has fully met its objectives. The main outputs are listed as follows: 1. Training for two physiotherapists from Palestine (Mr. Shadi Noureedeen Omar and Ms. Ruba Kamal Dwaik) at University Rehabilitation Institute Republic of Slovenia (URI Soca) in 2017. This training included: * an outline of the organization of work at each individual department and described the physiotherapy treatment programme; * assessment procedures used to assess the functional status of a patient; * individual methods and techniques of physiotherapy treatments; * the use and application of devices (electrotherapy and FES procedures, Lokomat Zebris, Snoeseln therapy, Halliwik, puppy therapy, therapy with dogs, Biodex); * learning of various orthoses and medical aids used for patients during treatment. 2. Training for two medical technicians from the West Bank (Mr. Mohammed Mahmoud Hassan Awadallah and Mr. Ahmed Farraj) at URI Soca in 2018. This training included: * taking part in the rehabilitation treatment of patients, including measuring vital signs, serial plaster casting of children, helping with moving and positioning patients in bed. * learning patient care techniques. 3. Advanced training for two rehabilitation experts from the West Bank (Mr. Ahmed Farraj and Mr. Mohammed Awadallah) at University Rehabilitation Institute Republic of Slovenia (URI Soca) in 2019. This entailed an advanced training in rehabilitation medicine, including the production of Knee-Ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) and Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), spinal orthoses, production and fitting of lower and upper limb prosthesis. 4. procurement of equipment for the Special Rehabilitation Centre Facilities in Bethlehem. 5. purchase of materials and consumables for the new facility. 6. inauguration ceremony of the rehabilitation center, attended by the Minister of Health and assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, Governor of Bethlehem, Director of ITF Enhancing Human Security, and the Head of Republic of Slovenia Representative Office in Ramalla. During this event, OFID was accorded maximum publicity as the main donor for this project.