newsletter n.16 - Gerusalemme

HEALTH
More efficient and safe hospitals: the medical support of the Italian
Cooperation and AISPO in Gaza and West Bank
Modern medicine can not ignore the use of equipment,
which is now a key tool in support of any activity carried
out by health professionals. Thus hospital equipment
becomes an indispensable “ally” for doctors, both in
diagnosis and in treatment of many diseases.
Since the good health and life of the patient depends in large
part on the proper use of this equipment, it is essential that
health equipment be functional, efficient and be constantly
checked, repaired with regular monitoring in order to
ensure that it is totally safe. The health projects carried out
and financed by the Italian Cooperation aim at long-term
support, providing the opportunity for local beneficiaries to
continue to use what has been given them, even well after the
conclusion of the projects.
AISPO’s project “Support Unit of Clinical Engineering
in the Gaza Strip”, funded by the Italian Cooperation
through the Emergency channel, with a contribution of 210
thousand Euros, fits perfectly into this scenario because, as a
continuation of previous initiatives promoted by the Italian
Cooperation, it aims at providing the local population with
access to essential care, but of high-quality, thanks to the
efficient and safe hospital equipment.
The beneficiaries of the initiative are the hospitals in the Gaza
Strip and the project’s local partner is the BMU (Biomedical
Maintenance Unit) at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City that
works with AISPO and in coordination with local offices of
WHO (World Health Organization).
The project aims at hospital equipment essential for the
diagnosis (analysis equipment for laboratory tests, radiology
and ultrasound for control of pregnancy, etc..) or the care of
patients (including neonatal incubators, machines operating
rooms and intensive care) by providing the essential spare
parts for their repair. The project does not just provide the
hospital with the essential equipment but also aims at making
the staff independent and at ease with the equipment. To this
end the project also promotes training courses involving the
technical staff and the engineers.
The health sector in Gaza is particularly critical: aid is needed
in many sectors from the safety of the structures to the supply
of medicines and medical-health and training staff in the
management of health services.
AISPO is also active in the West Bank through the project
“Supporting Palestinian surgical structures through the use
of mini-invasive and low cost techniques” implemented in
consortium with GVC and funded by the Italian Cooperation
with a contribution of 897,000 euros. The project involves
public hospitals in Hebron, Ramallah and Nablus, and aims to
improve health conditions of the Palestinian people increasing
the number and the quality of diagnostic and therapeutic
capacities related to the use of laparoscopic techniques
through the provision of technical equipment and training of
medical personnel.
Critical issues and achievements are the topics of our interview with Laura Sincinelli, AISPO
project manager in Gaza from this year.
What are the conditions of hospitals and
what are the main difficulties you encountered
in Gaza
Hospitals in Gaza are suffering from a
shortage of resources, certainly not enough
for the number of people who use them
in order to have both basic and specialized
care. In particular, the role of medical
and nursing staff is very limited if it can
not rely on medical equipment (both are
now indispensable in the diagnosis and
treatment for any disease), unusable due
to the lack of spare parts and consumer
products. Furthermore, the lack of spare
parts and equipment and the consequent
non-usage of the equipments renders vain
the efforts of those who have previously
donated the equipment, which with simple
repairs could still be used.
What important results were achieved
with the project and what are the goals
fixed in the short term
NEWSLETTER N.16 31