Project Hope does not have a regular medical relief program. That being said, we have in the past carried out some limited medical activities. We are also interested in helping parties interested in bringing medical relief to Palestine. We have connections in Palestine with medical associations that we can utilize.

There are many problems with the access to health care in Palestine. There are not adequate facilities, medicines, ambulance, materials or personnel. Checkpoints, roadblocks and closures, prevent people from arriving at hospitals or medical clinics. Many health problems have been made worse by this situation, to the point of chronic disability or death.

Children and Youth are one group that suffers disproportionately from the problems in the medical infrastructure. They are vulnerable to illness and injury (particularly the thousands of youth injured in street clashes or military operations).

Some previous projects include:
- Incubators
Project Hope has donated 3 Incubators to Palestine thanks to the support of the Municipality of Florence, a private Italian donor and to the assistance of COSPE.
- Saba heart surgery
Saba was a 2 year old child who had a critical heart disease. She had a cancerous growth inside the right ventricle of her heart and no possibility to treat this anywhere in the West bank. Project Hope sponsored a trip to Italy to receive heart surgery.

The surgery took place in the Hospital of Palermo assisted by the Dr. Marcelletti and ABC (ass. Bambino Cardiopatico). The surgery cost was waived by the Italian medical staff and hospital, but Project Hope had to pay for the cost of travel to Italy for Saba, her father and an assistant. Project Hope did not have an available budget at the time, so one of its volunteers paid for the trip from his meager savings.
Saba now is healthy and well in her house in the small village of Tallouza. You can see a video of her trip here.

Healthy Living Initiative

Medical Program

Basic First Aid and Healthy Living Initiatives
Project Hope has facilitated a number of medical initiatives since its inception in 2003.
These range from donating medical equipment—incubators and medicines—to training nurses, and fundraising to send a girl to Italy for heart surgery unavailable in the West Bank.
A team of medically-skilled International and Palestinian volunteers travel to villages and refugee camps to deliver basic first aid training and carry out basic medical checks. The program hopes to expand to establish a clinic run by volunteer physicians.

There are many barriers to medical services in the West Bank including:
• Illegal Israeli checkpoints that are a physical barrier, which Palestinians are often stopped from crossing
• Curfews imposed by the Israeli military, placing entire areas of the West Bank under literal house arrest
• High unemployment and poverty, rendering many families unable to afford travel to hospitals
• Lack of medical and health knowledge in communities

The Project Hope medical program, Basic First Aid and Healthy Living Initiatives, aims to overcome these and other barriers, and to empower Palestinians to take control of their own health by providing them with the skills and knowledge to help themselves within their community.
In addition to first aid training, lectures are given on healthy living initiatives, such as how to avoid Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure.
At the end of the class, blood pressure and blood sugar screenings are offered to all participants.  Medical advice is then given on an individual basis.
The lectures are given in conjunction with practical first aid training, where students are taught vital medical skills, such as how to identify early signs of a stroke or heart attack, how to render first aid to a choking victim, and basic CPR techniques.  Where access to emergency medical services is restricted, these basic first aid skills can save lives.
The program targets the areas in the West Bank hit by a lack of access to medical services, such as isolated villages, which have many checkpoints and barriers between them and hospitals, as well as refugee camps suffering from overcrowding and poverty.

Highlight:

In 2007 Project Hope volunteers made a delivery of medication to a young boy, Mohammed, in a village near the West Bank city of Jenin, and medical professionals in the USA are now sponsoring his medication needs.
Mohammed needed medical treatment unavailable in the West Bank.  He had initially been allowed to travel into Israel for hospital care, but the necessary permits were denied after July 2007.
Project Hope volunteers worked with medical staff in Palestine to liaise with the Israeli authorities to restore the permits.

How You Can Help:

Volunteers are needed and welcome.
You can also provide support by donating money, equipment or medical supplies.
Or consider hosting fundraising events to help boost awareness.