1st Palestinian Birth+Prenatal Ctrs, Jordan Valley

Hello Project Donors,

Thank you again for your support.   My colleague and mentor Sophia Omar and I are here in the West Bank to work through the details of this project so that it will move forward at last.  Although the Rotary grant combined with your GlobalGiving donations provides for equipment and training, so far we’ve not had a commitment for staffing.  Sophia and I are here to get the staffing allocation or develop a Plan B for private staffing.

On Sunday, Dr. Allam Jarar of the Palestinian Union of Medical Relief Societies (we asked his intervention when the Palestinian Government failed to respond to our requests by mail and phone) introduced us to Dr. Mahmoun, the Director of the Ministry of Health for the Tubas Governorate.  They took us to visit a new clinic and emergency room building constructed by the Japanese government in the village of Ein Al Beida, about 25 minutes north of Al Aqaba, also in Area C Jordan Valley.  We also visited the clinic in nearby Tayaseer in addition to visiting the clinic in Al Aqaba Village earlier in the week.

They propose citing our Birthing Center in the new Ein Al Beida Clinic instead of Al Aqaba Clinic and there are a number of good reasons for this:

• The Tayaseer Checkpoint can prevent residents of the northern Jordan Valley from reaching Al Aqaba's Clinic;
• Ein Al Beida is closer to the communities of the north including more than a thousand Bedouin families;
• There is already staffing 3 days per week;
• The Ministry of Health is making a commitment to expand staffing to 7 days per week and provide a midwife and nurse on site 24/7 for the birthing center.

Meanwhile, all agree that Al Aqaba Clinic will be a good place for prenatal appointments and are offering medical staffing there 2 days per week, but just 3 hours per day.  In addition, they are willing to contract with NGO’s to provide yoga and birthing classes, and various other Mother Child Education classes in Al Aqaba, rounding out the prenatal care program to 4-5 days per week.

Next step:  a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Health in Ramallah, hopefully this Thursday.  Overall impression: favorable.  My concern:  When I said we'll bring the training team in October, Dr. Mahmoun said this is too soon. Does the Ministry of Health have the budget needed to make their big commitment to staffing in Ein Al Beida's new clinic?   When will they actually open the new clinic and emergency health center?

We’re here in Palestine and Israel through Aug. 29^th, and we're determined to return home with a clear commitment for staffing, a clear schedule for opening both the Birthing Center in Ein Al Beida and the Prenatal Clinic in Al Aqaba, and a good sense of how we will get the equipment in.  I'll get back to you in two weeks with an update.

Sincerely,
Donna

P.S.  On Tuesday, we’re speaking at the Rotary Club of Nazareth, a sponsor of the Birthing Center. Sophia and I are invited to talk about our work in the West Bank and also Sophia’s remarkable hospital (now the largest in all Afghanistan!) in Kabul.  They would also like to have our two clubs develop a Rotary project “to benefit of our medical institutions here in Nazareth that give their services to about a quarter of a million people, Jews, Christians and Moslems that live in Nazareth and the surrounding cities and villages.”  We continue to draw upon their insight and expertise!

Hello Everyone,

Thank you again for your support.   Your donation makes it possible for Rebuilding Alliance to bring together a remarkable team to do something that no one could do alone:  install a birthing center that will serve a population of 50,000 people in the northern part of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley.  

I am writing to say that our birthing center implementation plans are stalled as we resolve two hurdles.  Please know that our team is usually quite good at resolving big and small hurdles.  Ok, here's what's happening: 

1.  The "refurbished equipment" challenge:   The equipment that Assist International is sending for the Birthing Center is refurbished equipment and whether it arrives first through the Amman airport or first through the Ben Gurion Airport, it must go through Israeli customs before entry is allowed into the West Bank.  From what we are hearing, Israeli Customs does not allow entry of any refurbished medical equipment.  The NGO with lots of experience whom we asked for help declined to assist us, saying that it is a BIG challenge to get special approval.

Now for the hopeful next steps:

A.  About 8 years ago, Assist International has brought and installed refurbished equipment in the Daniel Pearl Hospital in Israel.  They are exploring customs approval via their connections; and

B. There is a shipping approval group affiliated with the King of Jordan who has asked to help facilitate;

2.  The personnel challenge:  Our birthing center program includes equipment and training but does not include personnel.   At the time we wrote the proposal in 2008 (yes, that long ago.  A lot of work has gone into this project), Al Aqaba Village anticipated it would be easy for the Ministry of Health to ramp-up personnel at their Al Amal Clinic.  Now lack of funds to the Palestinian government (the U.S. Congress stopped U.S. funding as punnishment for their vote for recognition before the U.N., and the Israeli government stopped transfer of taxes collected) means that they have not met payroll for over 4 months.   Even the Ministry of Health itself has contracted to working only 1 day per week.   

Birthing Centers are usually 24/7 so we must find a grant to fund staff at the Al Amal Clinic.  We're in touch with Dr. Moustafa Barghouti's group, the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, to identify staff.   Because British Consul originally built the Al Amal Clinic, we will ask the British Consul for a grant to fund Birthing Center personnel.

So, that's where we stand right now.  I'll keep you posted as these matter resolve.  Thank you again for your support and your patience.  This is a project that matters and I look forward to arranging the next steps (scheduling the training visit with the new staff and scheduling a tour for all the donors) as soon as we know how and when we will get the equipment in.

Sincerely,
Donna