Qatar-built hospital for disabled in Gaza damaged in Israeli bombing

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Doha: A Qatar-built and funded rehabilitation hospital for the disabled in Gaza has been damaged in the ongoing Israeli strikes on the city.  Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics — funded by the Qatar Fund for Development — had to suspend its operations due to the damages caused by the Israeli strike.  The hospital serves the disabled people through its three departments (prosthetics, rehabilitation and audiology).  Dr. Rafat Lubbad, Director General of the hospital, in a tweet said massive shelling of the hospital’s surrounding area caused significant damage to the hospital building. Dr. Lubbad strongly condemned the constant bombing which has negatively affected the hospital and led to stop its services due to concerns for staff and patients' safety. Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics was built with the funding by QFFD and implemented by the National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health of Qatar, which had sent a number of doctors to operate and train the medical staff.  The hospital started operations in April 2019. The hospital was built on an area of 12,000 square metres with a capacity of 100 beds.  It has a range of key departments to provide high-quality care according to international standards, including a prosthetics and amputee rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and a department for speech and swallowing disorder. The hospital also provides a paediatric service. It serves all Palestinian citizens with disabilities and special needs, focusing on the Gaza Strip because of the location of the hospital.MENAFN19052021000063011010ID1102098818