Orthopaedic initiative for the Gaza Strip, Palestine

The current challenges facing the health care system are best described as "acute on top of chronic", where the Palestinian health system has suffered for long years from scarcity of resources, plurality, lack of coordination and integration, unclear roles of the MOH and lack of strategic direction and leadership. The described above feature has demonstrated itself in the widely perceived fragmentation, inequity of services availability and provision, duplication of services, increasing vulnerability of population and fragility of health institutions, and threatened chances of sustainability of the Palestinian health systems with its four major players particularly the NGO sector. This combination of economic and social deterioration and the inability of health services to respond to the consequences of the situation have exacerbated the already dire health status of the population of Gaza and necessitate rapid interventions (EUNIDA, Final report: Damage assessment and needs identification in the Gaza Strip, March 2009, ECESG, January 2010). With the proposals for teaching and training MiST has suggested, we hope to help improve the Orthopaedic and nursing services of Gaza, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Islamic University of Gaza and the sponsors, Qatar Red Crescent and Human Appeal International.