A delegation from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, led by Dr. Mai Alkaila, Minister of Health, visited NNUH on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The delegation was received by Dr. Amin Thalji, the Chief Executive Officer of An-Najah University Hospital, Dr. Kamal Hajazi, the former CEO of the hospital, Dr. Hussam Salama, the Medical Director, and members of the hospital's board of directors and medical council.
Dr. Amin Thalji welcomed the Minister and the accompanying delegation, highlighting the importance of the Ministry of Health's role in supporting the Palestinian healthcare sector. This support includes involving non-governmental, especially educational, hospitals in providing healthcare services to reduce the reliance on external referrals, contributing to the localization of services.
Dr. Thalji also presented statistics related to the medical cases referred to An-Najah Hospital by the Ministry of Health between 2017 and 2023. The data showed an increase in the number of referred cases, from approximately 12,000 cases in 2017 to over 16,000 cases in 2023, covering various medical specialties, including oncology, nephrology, and general surgery. This increase reflects the Ministry's confidence in the hospital's services and its support for its educational program.
During the discussion, Dr. Amin Thalji announced that the hospital recently celebrated reaching 300 cases of autologous bone marrow transplantation, both for adults and 6 cases for children. Additionally, An-Najah Hospital aims to further develop this service to include allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, a significant achievement that was praised by the Minister.
In her remarks, Her the Minister congratulated Dr. Amin Thalji and the hospital, as well as An-Najah University, for his appointment as the hospital's CEO. She also commended the hospital's role in providing various medical services to the local community, thus reducing the need for external referrals. She also acknowledged NNUH's leadership in its specialized medical fields and its role as an academic hospital in training and education.
Dr. Hussam Salama, the Medical Director of NNUH, emphasized the hospital's ongoing commitment to providing exceptional healthcare services to Palestinian citizens. He highlighted the ongoing construction of a 13-story expansion of the hospital building with 350 beds, including 28 intensive care unit beds and 11 new operating rooms. Additionally, the hospital plans to offer radiation therapy services in the near future. Dr. Salama also mentioned the recent expansion of the kidney disease treatment center, which started operating in early 2023, providing improved services to patients.
