An American team of orthopedic surgeons is currently visiting the Gaza Strip to conduct multiple joint replacement surgeries and to train local doctors. The visit lasts five days, during which the American team will perform surgeries on around 150 patients, in addition to training local surgeons and donating vital equipment worth about four million dollars.
Khaled Saleh, president of the "Fajr Scientific" organization, stated that the visit aims to assist patients suffering from joint problems and chronic pain, as well as patients who use wheelchairs or canes for mobility. After coming out of the operating room at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Saleh remarked, "Our hope is to help them regain body functions so they can restore hope in being active members of their families and communities."
Musab Nasser, the executive director of the organization, noted that the visit, hosted by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, aims to build the capacities of local surgical teams, emphasizing that "the purpose is not only to help them perform surgeries on their own but also to focus on training and local capacity building."
Patient Halima Abu Heia, 57, mentioned that she had waited three years for knee replacement surgery because she could not afford treatment outside Gaza, pointing out that patient waiting lists in Gaza's hospitals are extremely long. After undergoing surgery, Halima, who is a mother of four, told Reuters, "I am optimistic. They told me I will walk soon without pain and that I don’t have to worry about losing my knee."
