UAE pledges $64.5 million for East Jerusalem hospital

The UAE has pledged $64.5 million (around AED 236.9 million) to support the operational costs and upgrades at Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem.

It follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support the healthcare sector across Palestinian territories, state news agency Wam reported. 

The hospital serves over 66,000 patients from Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

This follows UAE President's earlier pledge of $25 million (AED 91 million) for the hospital in October 2022. 

Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development, said the UAE works in coordination with international and regional organisations to strengthen healthcare services in East Jerusalem, Gaza and other priority areas.

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, thanked the UAE for stepping up efforts to scale up services at the hospital. "The UAE's support makes it possible for WHO to provide the hospital with much-needed medicines and supplies, scale up its medical imaging capacity, improve the obstetrics and gynaecology department, and help to train over 100 residents across 11 specialties," he added.

Since its inauguration in 1968, Al-Makassed Hospital has expanded to over 250-bed capacity and specialises in cardiac surgeries, pediatric and orthopaedic care. It employs nearly 950 medical and administrative staff and offers specialised residency programme across 13 medical disciplines.