Description (About the Facility)
Al-Karama Specialized Hospital was established in 2007 to address the lack of secondary and specialized health facilities. It is part of the Patient Care Charitable Association, a non-profit organization that provides healthcare services and health education and was established in 2000 with license number 6071 from the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. The association has provided health services to more than 350,000 residents of Gaza and North Gaza[1].
The hospital covers an area of 700 square meters and is located in al-Karama area, northwest of Gaza City. Operations at the hospital began at the end of 2008 with a team of 65 medical workers from various medical specialties. The hospital provides health services to more than 150,000 people annually and has a clinical capacity of 44 beds[1].
The Patient Care Charitable Association and Al-Karama Specialized Hospital aim to make a positive impact in the community by providing assistance to low-income people, and the hospital focuses on promoting health education. The hospital offers multiple initiatives, such as providing specialized care to patients referred by the Ministry of Health, implementing medical and surgical projects for patients (through the Poor Patient Fund), conducting free medical examinations in schools and summer camps, holding free medical weeks for neighboring communities, organizing blood donation campaigns, and offering free vision tests[1].
Funding Details
The hospital is funded through donations from international and local organizations, as well as individual donations[2]. Sponsoring organizations include:
- The Arab Doctors Union which has equipped the ear, nose, and throat clinic and provided basic equipment for the hospital’s laboratory[3].
- The Kuwaiti International Islamic Charity Organization which has contributed to several support projects, including covering the costs of medical equipment that was cut off following the siege of Gaza[4].
- PALMED (Palestinian Doctors Association of Europe) and Al-Karama Specialized Hospital signed in 2016 a cooperation agreement aimed at addressing the hospital’s needs, including the provision of a central anesthesia machine for the operating room. The agreement includes the prioritization of the families of martyrs, wounded, and poor families[5]. PALMED has also provided solar panels in February 2019[6].
- The Goodwill Caravans Associations performed 20 surgeries in 2018 to alleviate the suffering of patients from poor families.
- The British organization Pima Palestine which in 2019 provided a 50 KVA generator to the hospital.
- The Welfare Foundation which in 2019 provided a quad ultrasound machine and an obstetric examination bed to improve diagnostic services for early detection of congenital malformations in fetuses[7].
- Viva Palestine Malaysia which with funding from the Palestine Emergency Appeal Fund has provided an ambulance to the hospital[8].
Effect of siege (2007 - 2023)
Government hospitals in the Gaza Strip usually lack the means and equipment for medical treatment; chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer patients, pediatric surgeries, and neurosurgery are only available outside the Gaza Strip. As of June 2007, 17% of patients, who were scheduled to be treated outside of Gaza, in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or abroad were prevented from leaving Gaza for treatment. Al-Karama Specialized Hospital was built under siege to address the lack of secondary health care services. Thus, the effort to build the hospital was itself an effort to rebuild Gaza's medical infrastructure to challenge the effects of the blockade[9].
The hospital has appealed to stakeholders to deal with the shortage of medical supplies since 2017.
narrative during this war
On October 17, 2023: Occupation forces bombed the vicinity of Al-Karama Specialized Hospital, rendering the hospital out of service as buildings adjacent to the hospital fell on it[10].
On October 18, 2023: Occupation forces threatened the hospital with evacuation and bombing[11]. The World Health Organization said the hospital was evacuated and had ceases operations.
On October 31, 2023: Occupation forces invaded the entire Al-Karama area. There was no information on the fate of the displaced people who have taken refuge in Al-Karama Specialized Hospital[12].
On January 10, 2024: An Israeli sniper opened fire on civilians in the street outside of the hospital[13].
February 8, 2024: Media outlets reported the complete destruction of the hospital by the occupation forces[14][15].
On July 7, 2024: As part of the “Mobile Clinic” project, the medical staff at Al-Karama Specialized Hospital carried out a medical day in the IDP camps in Khan Younis[16].
