UAE to fund hospital's evolution

An Emirates Red Crescent funded hospital in Palestine will be transformed into a teaching hospital and university by 2016.

ABU DHABI // An Emirates Red Crescent funded hospital in Palestine will become a teaching hospital and university by 2016.

The Sheikha Salama bint Butti Eye Hospital in Nablus, in the West Bank, will be the basis of An-Najah National University Teaching Hospital, reported Wam, the state news agency.

The 100-bed hospital, built a few years ago, has state-of-the-art facilities for patients and now students, providing services to five provinces in the West Bank.

By 2016, the hospital and university will be in four buildings that will include medical, logistical and administrative facilities,and is expected to have 450 beds.

The UAE has given the teaching hospital Dh8 million - more than Dh3m of which will be used to provide an operating theatre.

Until now, US$25m (Dh91.8m) has been spent on the teaching hospital and university, with $120m more needed for completion and a further $17m needed for medical equipment.

The Palestinian prime minister, Professor Rami Hamdallah praised the UAE for its continuous support of the Palestinian people and the Red Crescent's support of health care in the West Bank and Gaza.

In 2011, the UAE spent more than Dh124m on projects and humanitarian aid in Palestine, according to the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's most recent statistics.