Success story

Through USAID’s Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project, Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem received a state-of-the-art medical linear accelerator.  The $4.9 million radiation therapy system will help meet the demands for diagnosis and treatment of cancer among the Palestinian population.  Additionally, this technologically-advanced piece of equipment will strengthen the hospital’s role as a comprehensive cancer treatment center and will reduce the number of referrals abroad.  Patients will now be able to get treatment closer to their homes and relatives and the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health will be able to put to other uses the resources it had been using to pay for treatment in neighboring countries.

USAID responds to health challenges in the West Bank and Gaza with an integrated portfolio that includes provision of advanced medical equipment, expansion of access to higher quality medical facilities, and healthcare system reform.  USAID targets assistance to strengthen the capacities of the Palestinian health sector to meet the needs of its people.

The USD 86.9 million Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project is the centerpiece of USAID’s assistance in the health sector.  The Project strengthens the performance of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, and promotes more effective healthcare services for Palestinian families.

Augusta Victoria Hospital has been receiving an ever-increasing number of Palestinian cancer patients each year.  In 2010 the hospital treated 1,400 radiotherapy cases, a sharp increase from 250 cases in 2005.  Annually, the hospital sees 200 new cancer cases among Palestinian children, in addition to 1,700 new cases among adults- approximately half of which are women with breast cancer.  Gaza alone sends 200 patients each year who require 7,200 sessions.

As the majority of these patients are poor and cannot afford healthcare costs, and their financial burden increases as the illness prolongs, the pressure keeps mounting on the Palestinian Authority’s health insurance system.  According to Dr. Tawfic Naser, CEO of the Augusta Victoria Hospital: “Many patients come to us devastated emotionally because of the cancer stigma and their lack of financial resources.  Women are the most affected, as they lack social support.”

9-year-old Ahlam is a female cancer patient.  Her mother spent seven months with her in Jordan while undergoing treatment, and left six kids at home.  The mother now says: “Because of the new machine I can stay near my family, otherwise I will have to travel to Jordan for two additional months.  I am thankful because Augusta Victoria Hospital received this new machine.”

The Palestinian cancer team of Augusta Victoria who brings quality healthcare to Ahlam and other patients, has been training in Israel’s Hadassah University Hospital.  According to Dr. Nidal Salim, Deputy Clinical Director, Cancer Care Center, Israeli Physicists organize consultation visits, and were instrumental in the training and on-site applications regarding the new medical linear accelerator; and that Professor Tamara Pertz, Head of the Sharett Institute of Oncology, attends weekly meetings with the Palestinian radiation specialists.

USAID Mission Director Michael Harvey spoke of the difficulty patients and their families face when diagnosed with cancer and expressed his hope that the donation would help Palestinians to deal with this “terrible illness.” “USAID’s donation of this linear accelerator is part of the broader program to bring world quality healthcare to Palestinians.”