A $25m grant from President Sheikh Mohamed has saved a hospital in East Jerusalem from shutting down.
Al Makassed Hospital, a non-profit clinic run by an Islamic charity, was struggling to pay salaries and costs after the local government cut aid during the coronavirus pandemic.
It stopped taking non-emergency patients in April this year as bills mounted. There was a shortage of medicine that affected patient care but the grant from the UAE President, announced on Friday, will help it to continue its services, said Dr Adnan Farhoud, the hospital's general director.
The 250-bed hospital, which was established in 1968, is one of the main referral hospitals for the Palestinian community of Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. It provides specialist treatments such as cardiology, orthopaedics, paediatric medicine and neurology.
Closing the hospital because of a financial crisis could have been a major disaster for the health sector in Palestine, but with the UAE’s support, the hospital won’t close its doors
Dr Adnan Farhoud,
general director of Al Makassed Hospital
“The hospital is the largest in Palestine but was suffering because of issues with the Palestinian government and the income was reduced by 60 to 70 per cent after the government cut its aid during the pandemic," Dr Farhoud told The National.
"Pharmaceutical companies didn’t give medicines as the hospital didn’t pay its dues, and non-payment of salaries added to the problem.
"Sheikh Mohamed’s generous support will save the hospital and healthcare sector in the area. We are waiting for the aid details."
In April, the hospital closed its doors to all non-emergency patients as staff members went on a strike over the late payment of salaries and a lack of support.
The union ended the strike after an agreement was signed with the Ministry of Finance to pay a part of the hospital’s debts.
The agreement was to clear outstanding payments, including salaries but did not meet the hospital's daily needs.
“We are very thankful to the UAE for the timely support. The pledge by the UAE President will help us to continue to provide medical treatment to the needy and poor people” Dr Farhoud said.
He said 70 per cent of the patients are from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“Many people who get injured in clashes in Al Aqsa and the Sheikh Jarrah area in East Jerusalem are treated for free at the hospital. With no support or income, this makes a big dent in the finances,” he said.
“It is a non-profit hospital and we cannot take money from poor patients when they arrive for treatment.”
The hospital also serves as a teaching and research facility for Al Quds University Faculty of Medicine.
To date, more than 600 doctors have graduated from the facility.
According to Palestinian media reports, the local government owes about $47 million to the hospital. A big part of this amount was spent on treating referral patients from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The World Health Organisation's support has helped.
They delivered surgical and other medical supplies worth $44,000 to the hospital in April to help it deal with the crisis.
In the last week of April, it delivered life-saving medicine and supplies to cover the urgent health needs of 11,000 people and helped in replenishing medical stocks.
“Closing the hospital because of a financial crisis could have been a major disaster for the health sector in Palestine, but with the UAE’s support, the hospital won’t close its doors,” said Dr Farhoud.
He said the hospital is ready to send a delegation to the UAE to thank Sheikh Mohamed for the generous gesture.
UAE's continuous support to people in Palestine
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the UAE is one of its largest donors and provided more than $187 million from 2015 to 2020 to carry out humanitarian work in various sectors in Palestine.
In October, the Emirates sent 60,000 Covid-19 vaccines and more than 36 tonnes of urgent medical aid for thousands of Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip.
During the first wave of the pandemic, the UAE sent the first shipment of medical aid and supplies in May 2020, followed by 22 tonnes of aid to help medics fight the pandemic.
In December 2020, a third plane was sent with 14.4 tonnes of medical supplies and testing kits to Gaza, helping more than 14,000 healthcare professionals.
West Bank conflicts – in pictures
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E77kWh%202%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E178bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C150%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
