The war in Gaza continues to take a profound toll on the territory, its people, and the work of the Eye Hospital.
As the single largest provider of expert eye care in the region, the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group treats 40,000 people every year in Gaza.
That work came to an abrupt halt after October 7th 2023 as hospital staff sought refuge in the south. The result is not only a mounting backlog of patients but many more now in need of treatment.
Meanwhile, increased hostilities and movement restrictions seriously impacted the numbers of patients seeking treatment in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Yet, even in the most adverse of conditions, hospital staff worked selflessly to ensure the continuity of care to patients in the region.
The hospital in Hebron and clinic in Kufor Aqab expanded the range of services on offer, and within weeks numbers at these facilities had exceeded pre-conflict levels.
Outreach services reached record levels in 2023, including the introduction of a new outreach programme in the West Bank, screening children’s eyesight in UNRWA schools, which has to date screened over 20,000 children.
The hospital’s dedication to excellence and devotion to serving the people of this region, as it has been doing for over 140 years, received global recognition in 2023 with the awarding of the Champalimaud Vision Award.
SJEHG remains transparent in its communication with supporters from within the St John global family and beyond keeping them informed about the crisis’s developments and its impacts on the hospital.
The biggest challenge the hospital now faces is reestablishing its services in Gaza.
In a region where 69,000 people are either blind or living with the early onset of sight loss, it is essential to get hospital services back up and running as soon as possible.
Work on a phased emergency response plan is well underway with hospital staff starting to deliver primary eyecare services to displaced people in the middle and south of the Strip.
It is also vital to ensure the sustainability of the new services in the West Bank, both of which require investment to patients continue to receive these services.
Later this year the hospital will open a new day-care facility in the city of Nablus in the northwest of the West Bank. For the first time this will mean patients in the West Bank will have access to surgery without the need to travel to Jerusalem.
Demonstrating its commitment to diversity and inclusion, this patient-centred, fully accessible facility will provide a safe and comfortable space for patients to receive surgical care without the additional burden of travelling to Jerusalem.
The hospital is also introducing a Nablus-based outreach service which will ensure services reach some of the West Bank’s most isolated communities.
As a charitable institution SJEHG relies upon the continued support of its friends and colleagues from within the St John global family. The outpouring of support in recent months has been remarkable and will be more vital than ever over the coming months and years as we strive to fulfil our guiding mission of Saving Sight, Changing Lives.
