Our mission is in collaboration with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) to help with paediatric orthopaedics and hand surgery in Haifa Hospital, Burj Al Barajneh. Haifa Hospital is run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and has 45 beds with 35 doctors and 45 nurses. Burj Al Barajneh in South Beirut is a 4 square km Palestinian refugee camp and is home to between 25 000 to 30 000 people.
We reviewed 50 patients in the preoperative clinic, mostly children who came from Palestinian camps all over Lebanon. Nuha Masri of the PCRF, Malaysian nurse, Mariam Pok, who lives in Burj Al Barajneh, Haifa Hospital orthopaedic surgeons, Dr Ismail and Dr Mustafa were with us in the clinic.
We had patients with cerebral palsy, intoeing gait, osteochondritis of the distal tibial epiphysis, recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome, clubfeet, muscular dystrophy, fibula hemimelia, Perthes disease, malunion of the distal radius with ulnar nerve entrapment, hemiplegia due to gunshot injury to the brain, malunion of the ankle, ligamentous injury of the wrist and extensor tendon injury of the hand. A few patients did not turn up for surgery while 1 child was cancelled due to a respiratory tract infection. The operations performed were tendo Achilles lengthening for muscular dystrophy, adductor and hamstring releases for 2 patients with cerebral palsy and a revision carpal tunnel release.
To help a Palestinian child, contact the Malaysian Sociological Research Institute [ http://www.msri.org.my/] for details.
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The entrance to Burj Al Barajneh in South Beirut. |
We started surgery at 8.30am
the following day and managed to see a few more outpatient cases
in between the surgeries. We also attended a lunch talk on 'Pain'
before proceeding with the surgeries.
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The road leading to Haifa Hospital. |
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Main entrance, Haifa Hospital. |
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Revision carpal tunnel release. |
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9-year old boy with spastic diplegia, treated by bilateral adductor and hamstring releases. |
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Ruined buildings from previous shelling. |
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Rooftop view of the sprawling camp. |
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Electrical workshop. |
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The market near the hospital. |
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A maze of narrow alleys links the camp. |
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Ummu and her cats. |
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Children-the future of Palestine! |
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