ID :
42981
Thu, 01/29/2009 - 13:08
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/42981
The shortlink copeid
Dubai Cares and Chaine De L’Espoir Medical Mission join hands to help children in Gaza
Paris-France, Jan 29, 2009 (WAM) - A joint Dubai Cares and La Chaine de L'Espoir medical and surgical mission is in the Gaza Strip to provide emergency medical care to children injured during the recent war.
Since the ceasefire ending the 22-day war, the 7-member medical team has identified over 100 cases of children requiring urgent surgical intervention, particularly in the area of cardiac surgery. The mission plans to remain in Gaza for a minimum of one month to try and help as many injured children as possible.
More than 1,200 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. According to the latest United Nations estimates, Palestinian children account for approximately one out of every three persons killed.
Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of the Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: "With the fighting now over, our priority is to provide emergency medical assistance to children critically wounded and to place them on the path of recovery as soon as possible.
The quicker we act, the higher the chance these children can begin leading normal lives once again." Al Hashimy added: "We are closely following developments in Gaza and are prepared to provide our team necessary support to carry out their mandate and have positive impact on the ground." Despite efforts, the mission is dealing with difficult circumstances such as ill-equipped hospitals and shortage of surgical supplies.
Dr. Alain Deloche, President of La Chaine de L'Espoir and Head of Cardio-Vascular Surgery at the European Hospital Georges Pompidou, Paris said: "Even before the war, Gaza hospitals were not equipped with the necessary medical supplies to deal with complicated cases and patients requiring urgent life-saving operations were taken outside of Gaza for treatment.
"Unfortunately, this is not an option now due to the ongoing closure of the borders with Israel. More alarming is the fact that many of the cases include cardiac conditions which need to be operated within a 30-day timeframe to save these children's lives", Deloche added.
The joint Dubai Cares-La Chaine de L'Espoir mission urges all involved parties to allow children with complicated and urgent medical conditions to be transferred elsewhere to obtain adequate treatment.
Dubai Cares' medical intervention in Gaza is an isolated departure from its mandate of providing primary education in the developing world and was necessitated by the urgent nature precipitated by the war in Gaza.
The war and its immediate impact on the safety of children prompted the Dubai-based charitable establishment to provide required medical assistance to reduce casualties among children.
La Chaine de l'Espoir is a non-profit association engaged in facilitating access to medical care for the poorest children in developing countries. The association puts together high-level medical teams through its important network of French and best international specialists, surgeons, professional doctors and hospitals.
Dubai Cares is the world's largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education for underprivileged children. Its emergency interventions - which to date include interventions in Chad, Myanmar and Ethiopia - stems from its philosophy that guaranteeing the continuity of children's education is as important as ensuring their physical well being.
Since the ceasefire ending the 22-day war, the 7-member medical team has identified over 100 cases of children requiring urgent surgical intervention, particularly in the area of cardiac surgery. The mission plans to remain in Gaza for a minimum of one month to try and help as many injured children as possible.
More than 1,200 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. According to the latest United Nations estimates, Palestinian children account for approximately one out of every three persons killed.
Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of the Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: "With the fighting now over, our priority is to provide emergency medical assistance to children critically wounded and to place them on the path of recovery as soon as possible.
The quicker we act, the higher the chance these children can begin leading normal lives once again." Al Hashimy added: "We are closely following developments in Gaza and are prepared to provide our team necessary support to carry out their mandate and have positive impact on the ground." Despite efforts, the mission is dealing with difficult circumstances such as ill-equipped hospitals and shortage of surgical supplies.
Dr. Alain Deloche, President of La Chaine de L'Espoir and Head of Cardio-Vascular Surgery at the European Hospital Georges Pompidou, Paris said: "Even before the war, Gaza hospitals were not equipped with the necessary medical supplies to deal with complicated cases and patients requiring urgent life-saving operations were taken outside of Gaza for treatment.
"Unfortunately, this is not an option now due to the ongoing closure of the borders with Israel. More alarming is the fact that many of the cases include cardiac conditions which need to be operated within a 30-day timeframe to save these children's lives", Deloche added.
The joint Dubai Cares-La Chaine de L'Espoir mission urges all involved parties to allow children with complicated and urgent medical conditions to be transferred elsewhere to obtain adequate treatment.
Dubai Cares' medical intervention in Gaza is an isolated departure from its mandate of providing primary education in the developing world and was necessitated by the urgent nature precipitated by the war in Gaza.
The war and its immediate impact on the safety of children prompted the Dubai-based charitable establishment to provide required medical assistance to reduce casualties among children.
La Chaine de l'Espoir is a non-profit association engaged in facilitating access to medical care for the poorest children in developing countries. The association puts together high-level medical teams through its important network of French and best international specialists, surgeons, professional doctors and hospitals.
Dubai Cares is the world's largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education for underprivileged children. Its emergency interventions - which to date include interventions in Chad, Myanmar and Ethiopia - stems from its philosophy that guaranteeing the continuity of children's education is as important as ensuring their physical well being.
