Palestinian Emergency Ventilator Appeal - 2020
April 2020 – the Palestinian health system was at risk of being overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its leadership reached out to Project Rozana with a request for desperately needed ICU and non-ICU ventilators. The survival of patients depended on having this equipment in major hospitals.
The problem was accessing the equipment when demand was outstripping supply. The Palestinians were also cash poor, and better resourced communities were able to flip suppliers as demand grew. Even with all the goodwill in the world, market economics dominated.
After receiving a call from the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Dr Riyad al-Maliki, we understood that the challenge presented by the minister was at the heart of what Project Rozana stands for.
The PA request was strongly supported by the World Health Organisation and Israel.
The number of infections was rising dramatically, and the Palestinian health system was at breaking point. We could not stop the spread of the pandemic, but we felt the urgent need to save lives and protect vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank, by supplyiing equipment to support the health system.
Handing over the ICU ventilators: Dr Raid Mansour Project Rozana with Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr Riyad al-Maliki
We ran a two-track strategy. While scouring the world for ICU and non-ICU ventilators to ship to Palestinian hospitals, we were seeking donations to pay for equipment that was very difficult to secure as available stocks were already being bought by the highest bidders.
We were able to quickly set up the global Palestinian Emergency Ventilator Appeal and respond to the request in late May. We successfully procured and delivered 20 vitally needed COVID-19 life-support invasive ventilators for five ICU facilities in major hospitals in The West Bank and Gaza.
We reached 100% of our US$400,000 crowdfunding campaign target in record time.
The PA reached out again to Project Rozana for urgent support. From funds raised, we delivered additional ICU equipment, including hard to source ventilators.
The money was used to fully outfit five COVID-19 ICU-ready facilities in Palestine, including a complete ICU at Dura Hospital in Hebron, in one of the hardest hit areas. It also supported Palestinian ICU health professionals with training support around key learnings in COVID-19 ICU treatment – through Israeli hospitals.
The lives of vulnerable Palestinians were saved because of our remarkable donor community. Our standing has grown with participating governments and we are also on the radar of many influential organizations around the world who noted the speed with which we were able to respond to this unprecedented health crisis.
COVID-19 Emergency – Gaza
2021
In response to efforts by Project Rozana, the Australian Government donated US$1 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for COVID relief in Gaza and The West Bank.
The decision followed a direct request by the PA to Project Rozana – the first NGO in 2020 to provide ICU-enabled ventilators and training for hospitals in the Palestinian occupied territories.
The money was channelled through the World Health Organisation, which coordinated its deployment with the PA Ministry of Health. It was used to provide critically needed medical equipment and technical assistance to the Palestinian health system, particularly in Gaza.
The Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Riyad al-Maliki, praised Australia’s “excellent response” in dealing with the pandemic and its generous offer of support. He also paid tribute to Project Rozana for helping to steer the request through the appropriate Australian Government channels.
Acknowledging the assistance of the Palestinian Representative to Australia, Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, whose office liaised between the Australian and Palestinian governments, as well as Mark Bailey, the Australian Ambassador to Palestine, and the tireless work of Dr Jamal Rifi AM, a board member of Project Rozana Australia and International, Project Rozana Chair, Ron Finkel AM noted: “the insidious nature of the disease means that it can only be contained through cooperation. This approach is key to Project Rozana’s vision of building better understanding between Israelis and Palestinians through health.”
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Senator Marise Payne