Translated from MAAN News

Wednesday, 21 March 2007 2:15 PM

Ramallah. Maan News. CARE International held a workshop in the City Inn Hotel, Al-Bireh, regarding the health projects funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Health Work Committees, Birzeit University Institute of Public Health, and CARE staff, attended the workshop.

Stephanie Baric, CARE’s Assistant Country Director, spoke about the importance of the workshop in exchanging ideas and experience, developing future projects, and discussing the status of implementation of current projects.

Dr. Mohammad Tufakji, Deputy Director General of Primary Health CARE in the West Bank and Jenin Director of Health; Dr. Jihad Mash’al, Director General of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society; and Dr. Kamal Zeinah, Director of Primary Health CARE in the Health Work Committees, spoke about the importance of the workshop, and they spoke about the role of CARE in implementing health projects in Palestine and their ongoing cooperation with CARE.

Dr. Ayman Shuaibi, gave a report about health projects in the West Bank and Gaza that are funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid. He said that CARE is implementing the emergency project to sustain health services in the occupied Palestinian territories, implemented in Jenin, Toubas, Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem. Shuaibi said that 92 clinics are receiving support via three main partners namely the Ministry of Health, Medical Relief, and the Health Work Committees.

He said that CARE is also implementing the emergency project to sustain health services in the Gaza Strip, and is providing the Ministry of Health and NGOs with medical equipment, medicine, medical supplies, and spare parts.

Participants discussed the methods that will improve the implementation of current and future projects, and they spoke about strengths and challenges, and how to find the best means to overcome obstacles, so the best medical services will be provided to Palestinians in the marginalized communities.