Linking hospitals in Palestine

Jan-Hugo Olsen and Kirsten Eriksen have packed their bags and left their peaceful surroundings in the north of Norway for a challenging assignment in Palestine. Among other activities, the NST staff members will conclude contract negotiations with the local provider of telephone lines and other equipment needed to link the rehabilitation centres together with the help of technology.

Physical isolation

Since the intifada began, the building of the wall combined with military checkpoints and strict restrictions on travel have made it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to travel to and between the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.  Gaza is closed and isolated from the rest of Palestine. The situation has made it virtually impossible for the national rehabilitation centres, which provide specialized services to people with disabilities, to work together. Another consequence is that international specialists are reluctant to travel to the Palestinian areas to help with training and guidance.

Preliminary study in 2004

In 2004, the NST conducted a preliminary project to investigate the possibilities of using technology as a collaborative tool in this area. Their findings were positive. As a result, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted NOK 4 million for the work that the telemedicine community in Tromsø has now embarked on in Palestine.

"We have high hopes of succeeding in linking the centres in Palestine with the help of videoconferencing and communication with images, sound, and text over the Internet," explains Jan-Hugo Olsen, the project manager, who is in Palestine for the third time.

Training and use

In addition to negotiating important contracts for collaboration, Olsen and Eriksen will start training staff at the rehabilitation centres in the use of the videoconferencing equipment during their stay. They will also help to prepare plans for using the equipment so that the centres obtain the greatest possible benefit from the new system, and will help to establish professional networks across the physical barriers in Palestine. 

"In recent years, it has been impossible to exchange expertise and send patients between hospitals if required. It has become very difficult for our staff to travel abroad to obtain training. Nor is it easy to persuade international specialists to visit us to train our staff.

"The result is that our hospital in Gaza is not only isolated from the rest of the world, but also from the Palestinian centres outside Gaza. With telemedicine equipment available, we have the opportunity to resume our collaboration with colleagues both in Palestine and abroad," explains Dr Medhat Abbas, director of the El Wafa Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, which is Gaza's only rehabilitation centre.

Many contributions from Norway

The work in Palestine is taking place in cooperation with the Norwegian Association of the Disabled, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tandberg. Tandberg has donated all the videoconferencing equipment to the four rehabilitation centres. Later, the Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital may also be able to help, with initiatives such as training programmes through videoconferences to the rehabilitation centres in Palestine.

Contact person at NST

For further information, please contact Kirsten Eriksen on email Kirsten.Eriksen@telemed.no or telephone +47 913 49 652