Gaza doctors carry out cochlear implants under Qatar supervision

Seven deaf Palestinian children in Gaza are preparing to have cochlear implant operations in procedures funded by Qatar

Qatari doctors oversee the cochlear implant operations being carried out by Palestinian doctors in the besieged Gaza Strip, 31 January 2022 [Hamad Hospital]

Palestinian doctors carry out cochlear implant operations on children in the besieged Gaza Strip 31 January 2022 [Hamad Hospital]

Qatari doctors oversee the cochlear implant operations being carried out by Palestinian doctors in the besieged Gaza Strip, 31 January 2022 [Hamad Hospital]

Palestinian doctors carry out cochlear implant operations on children in the besieged Gaza Strip 31 January 2022 [Hamad Hospital]

Seven deaf Palestinian children in Gaza are preparing to have cochlear implant operations in procedures funded by Qatar in the besieged coastal enclave, a statement said yesterday.

The Qatar funded Sheikh Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza said the operations would be carried out by Palestinian doctors and supervised virtually by their Qatari counterparts.

Head of the Management Board of Hamad Hospital, Sultan Al-Aseeri, said the resumption of these operations was a “qualitative jump” for Gaza’s healthcare system, which is suffering under the siege.

The cochlear implants programme started in 2016 when Qatari doctors carried out the operations.

Dr Khalid Abdul Hadi, the head of the Hearing and Balance Department at Hamad Medical City in Qatar, said Palestinian doctors would be trained to perform cochlear implant operations.

General Director of Hamad Hospital, Nouriddin Salah, said: “Palestinian doctors are able to carry out the cochlear implant operations on their own after five years of training and taking part in operations carried out by Qatari doctors.”

Since 2017, Qatari doctors have carried out 231 such operations for patients over 18 years old and 1,243 for those under 18.

READ: Gaza, the Betrayed

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