Adhoc Humanitarian's Orchestra

Al-Yamamah Hospital is an independent, cottage hospital on the southwest outskirts of Bethlehem City. It lies on the road leading between Jerusalem in the north and Hebron in the south, close to Al-Khader village. Al-Yamamah (meaning "the dove of peace") was opened in 1997 as a health centre to service the needs of west Bethlehem district and Al-Khader, for which it is the only healthcare provider. It catered for the specific needs of the local stone-cutting industry, and to combat the more general effects of widespread poverty. Most other healthcare facilities occur in the central, north and eastern parts of Bethlehem District, ie. around the city centre and heading towards Jerusalem. In line with the founders' plans, the health centre developed into a cottage hospital in 1999. This development was well sustained until the beginning of the latest round of political troubles (known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada) between Israel and Palestine, in 2000. The need then to cater for a war-zone became imperative. Beyond the original objectives, the hospital now aims specifically to fill the gaps left by the various health providers scrabbling to look after a populace under siege, and help to co-ordinate efforts (NGO's, the UN, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and an array of local charities).

What they need:
CT scanner (replacing the one destroyed by Israeli soldiers in November 2000)

Intensive Care unit (ICU)

Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) unit

Urgently required:
Surgical equipment including, drill and saw, Craniotomy surgical set, apparatus, implants and prostheses for orthopaedic surgery

Funds for salaries for the well-trained nursing staff, and medical and surgical specialists available to the hospital

What is already there
24-hour emergency response (ER) unit, with laboratory, X-ray and ultra-sound services round the clock

Out Patient's department for consultations in a broad range of medical specialities, referrals and admissions
In Patient's department of 25 beds, spread between two floors (one female, one male), for medical, surgical and paediatric patients

Two operating theatres with recovery room and sterilization unit, able to provide basic general surgery plus Urological, Paediatric, limited Orthopaedic, limited ENT surgeries and limited Neurosurgery.

Neurophysiology lab with Digital and Cassette EEGs, EMG, VEP, and Evoked Potential

An Endoscopy unit.

The state of play
Since the 2000 troubles started, financing for the hospital itself and patients' ability to pay for treatment, or even get to the hospital at all, has gradually dried up; but so too has the ability to refer patients to other care centres beyond Al-Khader. This is because of the enormous restrictions on movement imposed on the area and throughout Palestine by the Israeli army, which is strangling the economy and consequently pushing the inhabitants down to lower and lower levels of subsistence. Due to lack of maintenance, the roads are in an appalling state, and lined with roadblocks where hold-ups are notoriously long. All this has resulted in a dramatically increase need for effective, on the spot, medical care, not least to treat those who are caught up in the fighting, destruction of buildings and political imprisonment. Susceptibility to disease is far greater than a few years ago and it is proving hard for the local authorities to ensure good sanitation, let alone basic levels of good nutrition. Much of the work has to be done by external organisations cobbling things together.

The outlook at present is grim, but with bolstering up the population around good healthcare, and the foundations to a better way of life, not least from the good ethical example that healthcare delivered purely on medical need (not creed, race, nationality, political persuasion, means, age nor sex) can provide, the prospects could look decidedly more cheery.

But for today, the hospital is struggling with that healthcare provision. Staff continue to work without salary, treating patients for free, pretty much working off good will and handouts from Medicins sans frontiers, UN, NGO's and other organisations, which understand the vital nature of the hospital's work. The hospital has deliberately set out to cover the gaps in healthcare provision for the broader surrounding district, so as to back up and compliment the rest of the diverse healthcare provision in the district, without duplication. The overall need, however, is for greater quantities of healthcare for the whole of Bethlehem District, not fewer.

Referrals and risks
To our Western eyes, the numbers involved are very small. Up to October 2002, 600 had been treated freely, of whom 100 were hospitalised and most of those had major surgery. I am unsure of overall hospital usage figures. Referrals come from local healthcare facilities of varying descriptions - there is no Health Service as such in Palestine - and organisations dedicated to helping the handicapped, bereaved, political prisoners, and a whole range of children's groups, particularly orphans and children of prisoners. The population is very young, meaning half is still less than 20 years old. The older sections of population are comparatively more destitute than they used to be a few years back. Senior citizens and pregnant mothers are now highly vulnerable. Many patients just present themselves at the doors, somehow, by avoiding roadblocks, walking and taking enormous risks during the strict curfews to get to the hospital. But they need to take the risk or they wouldn't be attempting it. Which means that the hospital staff carry on regardless, doing their best and handling each day very matter-of-factly, like any other. The board of governors continue to dream up sources of funding as matters deteriorate, and life goes on.

Being keen to heal the sick in Bethlehem, however, is not necessarily safe. The hospital director, Dr Ahmad Numan, was killed by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in March 2002. Despite following the carefully established "safety" instructions (agreeing his shirt colour, car number plate and purpose of trip with the IDF), he was carefully shot in the head as he drove to collect urgent supplies from a neighbouring hospital, to cope with a rush of injured to Al-Yamamah. With devastating levels of obtuseness such as this to negotiate, it is a testament to the resilience of the hospital staff and their dedication to their patients that they carry on with their vital work.

What you can do
Hand over cash for salaries and basic purchasing - a very little goes a very long way in such circumstances:

Al-Yamamah Hospital Bethlehem/Al-Khader
Account Number - 717460-8
Arab Bank
Bethlehem Branch

Think up someone who might have the cash and give them these details

Help raise cash for equipment (CT scan costs $350,000 and would be the only one for Bethlehem District and beyond)

Get hold of second hand equipment

Help pay for shipping costs, if importing the equipment into the Middle East. On publicity, sending encouraging letters to authorities (MP's, consulates, embassies, etc.) describing your reactions to the situation at Al-Yamamah hospital, and what you would like to see done to improve the lot for the people of Bethlehem, is always useful. Any publicity for the plight of these human beings who deserve to live like the rest of us, with the basic semblance of human rights and good health, must be good publicity. But frankly, money is the most useful resource needed right now.

The address for the hospital, for letters of encouragement, suggestions, or direct donations of any kind, is:

Al-Yamamah Hospital
Bethlehem/Al-Khader
Palestine
PO Box 864
Telephone/Fax: +2 (0)2 745406, 745407 and 764444
Email: yamamah@p-ol.com
Or you can email Basim Sbeih, at basim207576@hotmail.com

Holy Land Trust, Palestine Holy Land Trust (HLT) is a Palestinian not-for-profit organization established in 1998 in Bethlehem with the aim of strengthening, encouraging and improving the Palestinian community through working with children, families, youth, and the non-governmental organization (NGO) community. This is achieved on three levels: the creation of community awareness programs, working on local and international advocacy initiatives, and building local and international networks and partnership programs.

Holy Land Trust programs are uniquely founded on historical, political and religious experiences and events that have taken place in the Holy Land and have shaped human history; experiences that are a strong part of Palestinian culture and tradition as well. HLT programs are implemented through three departments: Peace and Reconciliation, Remember the Innocents and Travel & Encounter.

Through these departments, Holy Land Trust promotes and supports the Palestinian community in its struggle on two fronts: achieving independence by educating, training and preparing Palestinians in developing nonviolent resistance approaches towards ending the occupation; and assisting in building an independent Palestine that is founded on the principles of nonviolence, democracy, respect for human rights, and peaceful means of resolving conflicts. In addition, HLT works to build a deeper and broader international understanding regarding the situation in the Holy Land in order to strengthen the capacity of those working for positive change in the region. HLT believes in the important role the international community plays in achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

All of the HLT staff and board members in Palestine are from the local community and face the same conditions and difficulties as the general population. Hence, they are knowledgeable of and are directly affected by the struggles that all Palestinians experience in their day-to-day lives, including curfews, home demolitions, travel restrictions, land confiscations, injury and loss of life. In addition to the staff and board of HLT-Palestine, several international and local volunteers assist with HLT programs, organizing events and helping with the various projects HLT is undertaking at any given time.

Remember the Innocents seeks to raise worldwide awareness on how the suffering of the innocent children continues today on a scale far worse than in ancient times. Nowhere is this more true than in the Middle East. UNICEF reported that more than 7,000 children under the age of five were dying each month due to malnutrition (May 1999). Through a variety of local and international programs, events, awareness campaigns and activities, and through working with other concerned organizations, Remember the Innocents hopes to bring the suffering of children to light and bring new hope and aid to children everywhere. The after school Children's Club was set up in 2002, initially as a year long program in Bethlehem and serve as a model for future programs throughout Palestine. The purpose of the program is to provide a place away from the fear and destruction of occupation and war where the young children of Palestine can find the safety, peace and encouragement they need to learn and grow emotionally, spiritually and socially. In August of the year 2002, Holy Land Trust in cooperation with Ibda' Center from the Deheisheh refugee camp, organised the first ever summer camp that brought Palestinian refugee children from three refugee camps, from three countries: Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. This first encounter helped to bring a generation of children together, who on a daily basis face similar difficulties and living conditions, to meet, interact, develop friendships and discuss their future vision for peace and hope.

"We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission, light or heavy, in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.

"We, combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty all over the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people.

"We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides

"We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Territories, destroy all the values we had absorbed while growing up in this country

"We, who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF's human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society

"We, who know that the Territories are not Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated in the end

"We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements

"We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people

"We hereby declare that we shall continue serving in the Israel Defense Forces in any mission that serves Israel's defense.

"The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose - and we shall take no part in them."

To date, well over 500 soldiers are 'refusniks'. For those who are now in military prison as a result of their stance, the contribution from Adhoc Humanitarians Orchestral Concert will go towards assisting their families, particularly their children.