Beirut
27 March 2010
On 27 March 2010, the Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), which contributes to improving hospitalisation services to Palestine refugees in Lebanon.
This new agreement aims to decrease the financial burden borne by Palestinian refugees and to strengthen the capacity of PRCS hospitals to respond to the needs of the population.
The tripartite agreement provides for the coverage of normal deliveries of non-risky pregnancies not covered routinely by UNRWA, of cataract and laparoscopic surgeries to all Palestinians living in Lebanon, and orthopaedic surgeries for children under 18 years old. The agreement shall also provide new essential equipment to PRCS hospitals and health centres, which are crucial for the improvement of quality in the hospitals, to meet the standards agreed upon between UNRWA and PRCS.
In this respect, the QRC will equip the PRCS Hamshari hospital with a phacoemulsification and a laparoscope machine. It will also work on building medical staff capacity to use this equipment for performing cataract and laparoscopic surgeries. Thus, Palestinian patients will be able to undergo such surgeries at Hamshari hospital within the terms and conditions agreed upon between UNRWA and the PRCS hospital.
This agreement will be an addition to the previous agreements signed lately between UNRWA and PRCS and the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health with the aim of improving health services for Palestine refugees in Lebanon and alleviating the financial burden that they used to suffer from.
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Not an official document
For more information please contact UNRWA Public Information Office tel: 00961-1-840468
email: h.samra@unrwa.org
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