Al-Sadeel

Cancer care in Bethlehem

العربية

Statistics revealed 8,106 new cancer cases (2000-2005) in the west bank (with 948 cancer cases in Bethlehem district), with 3,471 deaths. This is an indicator of the problem of high mortality rate among cancer patients in Palestine, which means that most of cancer patients are diagnosed at the end stage of the disease.

More over, most of cancer patients are diagnosed at the end stage of the disease (5,550 cases) representing 68% of total cases, which means that they are terminally ill and at their end of life, the thing that means that those patients are not early detected and no more in need for curative care that is no more applicable for them, but indeed in need for palliative care to live comfortably and free of pain.

On the other hand, as an example, there are (1113) breast cancer cases representing 27% of female cancers and 14% of total cases (the most common cancer between females), and this indicates the need for education and early detection for cancer. (2000-2005, Palestinian National Cancer Registry).

The shortage of health care facilities available to serve those patients and their families (one major center in Bethlehem, two minor in Jerusalem and Nablus, and two in Gaza), the limited services(75 beds for oncology patients in MOH hospitals representing 2.7% of total beds, of which 22 beds in Bethlehem area) that provides only treatment to the disease without focusing on the need for palliative care and early detection of cancer, and lack of knowledge, education and training among the health care professionals regarding early detection, public awareness and palliative care for cancer patients, as well as the absence of home care services (governmental and private) is highly figured out the need for palliative care in parallel with curative care to improve quality of lives for patients and their families, to live comfortably and free of pain. Actually, the number  of assigned beds to cancerous cases in governmental hospitals that are distributed  in Nablus, Bethlehem, East Jerusalem and Gaza are limited& encountered by many obstacles and inspection barriers  especially Augusta Victoria Hospital (located at east Jerusalem).

Fore that, Al-Sadeel Society is founded as the only registered Palliative Care Society in Palestine dedicates its efforts to start education and training programs in palliative care issues, and then to provide home-based palliative care services to cancer patients and their families. And, to establish the first non-profit hospice center in the long term.

As it happens, our idea is new in cancer field in WB because all the time the trend of care was to cure cancer patients rather than to educate and palliate, thus the dream about Creation a specialized organization in Palestine that should handle the issue of education on early detection and palliative care, and the desperate for being a part of the Palestinian health care system increased in its intensity.

Actually, a need assessment survey for Palliative care in WB hospitals was conducted by the society. Analysis proved the critical need for affording palliative care services all over WB districts. So we intended to start at appoint firstly at Bethlehem where most volunteers are from.

Mission

The mission of Al-Sadeel Society is to alleviate the pain and suffering of terminally ill cancer patients by providing professional nursing and palliative care along with care to the families by means of medical, social, emotional and psychological approaches. In this way we wish to provide comfort till the very end as well as to preserve the dignity of the suffering patient.

Vision

The society’s vision is that life is a gift from God, and therefore, it should be kept pain free as much as possible, using updated knowledge and skills. The Society’s activities are aimed to be free and affordable to patients who need them, and not only to those who are able to pay for them.

PC workshop in cooperation with AL-Quds University

AL-Sadeel Society for Palliative Care had arranged with AL-Quds University a one day workshop at the university campus under the title of "Palliative Care". The workshop had included many lectures and audiovisual materials that were presented by specialists in the field.

The workshop had hosted a specialist palliative care nurse from Sweden who presented lectures about palliative care foundations and principles, loss, grief and bereavement. As well, AL-Sadeel society had participated in many lectures; Mrs. Amal Khleif presented a lecture about principles of communication and communicating bad news, Mr. Nasser Dweib presented the results of a Quality of life research that was done among Palestinian cancer patients. Also, the workshop included a live cancer case presentation of a cancer survival.

The workshop was impressive as pronounced by its attendants who appreciated the experience and wished further activities in this field of cancer care.

Education Programs

The society is conducting an education program for the health care professionals at the main governmental hospital in Bethlehem area. This project is a voluntary work of the team of the society despite of the limited resources available as a trial from us to light a candle in the darkness of cancer in our region.

This project is aimed to provide the health care professionals at the hospital with some basic palliative care tips and topics that is necessary for them in their day to day dealing and communicating with the cancer patients at their hospital. This program is almost a weekly program for the now being, and we hope it will continue as we recognized that it is needed there by the high interest that is shown from the workers there for such topics to be discussed with them at their work place