By Chris Rose | Director
Breast screening for 10,000 women in Gaza (52226)
In most countries around the World October is also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month - or in the middle east as Rosy October, because of the pink ribbon symbol. Each year in October we at Amos Trust particularly focus on the Al Ahli ‘ baptist’ Hospital breast cancer screening programme in Gaza.
At the start of October 2023 the hospital launched a month of activities to further raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer in Gaza (life expectancy rates once diagnosed were over 3 times worse than in the UK or in israel and the West Bank) and of the need for and simplicity of self examination and for women over 40 or those who find a lump of a mammography screening scan. Alongside this was a fresh drive to break the stigma associated with breast cancer and to highlight that it could be treated effectively and well if diagnosed early.
Then on October 7th the Hamas attack occurred that left 1,200 Isralis dead and for the subsequent attack on Gaza destruction that has left 40,000 dead, 10,000 missing, 100,000 injured, 2 million displaced and so much destruction. The hospital changed its focus to respond to the waves of casualties it was receiving.
The Hospital was bombed on October 17th and 471 people were killed. Staff have been operating since then under terrible conditions. The Hospital is one of few hospitals still operating in Gaza City. Their 60-bed hospital still has 80-100 inpatients and they currently have 22,000 outpatients registered with them and are carrying out 20-30 outpatient’ surgeries a day for those injured in the conflict.
Their physiotherapist unit has had to be used as a triage centre; however, they have just managed to reopen it. They want to have six physiotherapists based there and six others working in outpatients as there are so many injured people who desperately need physiotherapy — it is estimated that 10,000 people have lost a limb and 100,000 have been injured.
They also wish to resume their Intensive Care (3 beds) and specialist burns units as the need for both is so great. They are working with the Princes Basma Hospital in Jerusalem to provide specialist care for children who have had amputations and have just resumed day clinics for those suffering from cancer with Augusta Victoria Hospital. They are running these clinics for two days a week for people who were being treated by Augusta Victoria before the fighting started and who have spent the last ten months unable to access treatment. They are also looking to resume their diagnostic and breast cancer services once there is a ceasefire and an end to the fighting, provided the machines have not been too badly damaged.
We recently made a payment of $26,000 which is the first of three payments for their outpatients work and for them to restart their rehabilitation work, specifically with those injured in the war through their specialist surgical, burns and physiotherapy departments. This will then we hope lead onto further support for their breast cancer screening programmes.
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