Gaza Blog: The SOS medical center in Rafah

“Um Nasser” is a lady in her late sixties and lives near the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah. She frequently comes to the Village’s clinic to get regular check ups because she suffers from diabetic and high blood pressure. After the check up the Doctor writes a prescription for her and then gets it for her from the Village’s pharmacy, and then he walks her to the door saying good-bye and wishing her a quick and full recovery.

Tens of patients come from the surrounding areas to visit the Doctors at the SOS Children’s Village clinic. The Doctors specialize in internal medicine, dermatology and neurology; all of them are volunteers and they don’t get paid for what they do at the clinic. Their goal is to help the people who really need their help. They work for  many hours every week without complaining. What really makes it easy for the people in the Village is that the Doctors are there and they don’t have to go outside the SOS Children’s Village to get proper medical treatment.

Every year, the Doctors have a medical day for people who live in the rural areas and places far from the city. They travel around and give people check-ups and advice about their health. At the end of the day people gather around the Doctors and get a lecture from the Doctor about the SOS Children’s Village and the services that is provided by it to the people, this way the SOS Children’s Village gets new friends too!

The medications at the Village’s Pharmacy are provided by ‘Turkish Red Crescent’  and other organizations that are in Gaza Strip. This pharmacy is really important because there is a lack of medications in Gaza Strip.