The LWF-run Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem. Photo: LWF/M. Renaux
LWF Augusta Victoria Hospital inaugurates state of the art PET/CT Scanner
(LWI) - A ray of hope for cancer patients from Palestinian territories, thanks to a new X-ray machine. From now on cancer patients can benefit from modern diagnosis of the disease following the installation of new equipment at the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)-run hospital received the new scanner through financing by the German government and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). It was officially inaugurated during a ceremony attended by the representative of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ramallah Mr Christian Clages, IsDB special advisor Mr Hani Abu Diab, AVH chief executive officer Mr Walid V. Nammour, and the LWF representative in Jerusalem Mr Lennart Hernander.
Ms Anne Caroline Tveoy, LWF regional program coordinator, said “the new equipment enables the AVH to continue providing high quality and life-saving care to the millions of Palestinians served by the hospital. This helps the AVH continue being a ray of hope for Palestinian cancer patients.”
The new equipment enables the AVH to continue providing high quality and life-saving care to the millions of Palestinians served by the hospital. This helps the AVH continue being a ray of hope for Palestinian cancer patients.
Clages expressed appreciation for AVH’s valuable work of providing exemplary specialized medical care to Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. “Today’s inauguration is good news to all cancer patients in Palestine. With this specialised system, the hospital will significantly expand its diagnostic program and hereby both help cancer patients and improve cancer prevention. Especially against the current difficult financial background, Germany is very happy to contribute to the strengthening of the Palestinian health sector.”
Managed by the LWF, the AVH is a center of medical excellence serving 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. As one of the six hospitals in the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network, it offers specialized care not available in other hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza, including radiation therapy for cancer patients and pediatric hemodialysis.
The PET/CT system is a combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computerised tomography (CT). It is not only able to exactly localize tumors, but also allows more precise information to be made on the tumor characteristics. AVH staff work closely with the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHKC) in Amman, Jordan, which provides technical and professional support for the interpretation of images from the new system. The LWF hospital has also invested in the capacity development of its radiologists and other staff, to continue ensuring high quality treatment at all stages.
Germany contributed USD 1.2 million for this important diagnostic device, and the IsDB provided USD 400,000.
Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) is a center of medical excellence in East Jerusalem, serving all 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. It offers specialized care not available in other hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza, including radiation therapy for cancer patients and pediatric hemodialysis. Augusta Victoria Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International for its outstanding quality.
