DUBAI, September 16, 2009 (WAFA)- Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields), the Dubai branch of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, is supporting the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) during Ramadan with free treatment for a Palestinian patient.
Bahaa Salim is a young Palestinian who lost an eye and may require further surgery to his eyelid prior to the fitting of an artificial eye, which the hospital is able to do through its specialized team of Ocularist (artificial eye maker) and ocular surgeon, Dr Andrea Sciscio.
Bahaa will meet consultants at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai this week and the PCRF will arrange travel and accommodation for the patient.
On June 25, 2006, then 16-year-old Bahaa Salim and his family were at home in the Nablus Casbah when a grenade was fired onto their house, killing his older brother and badly injuring Bahaa and his siblings. The PCRF was made aware of his need for reconstructive surgery to rebuild his left eye orbit and sent him to New Jersey (USA) for reconstructive surgery in 2008. However, his treatment was not completed due to the length of post operative healing time required and he returned home to Palestine to wait for his rebuilt orbit to heal before fitting him with a prosthesis.
Steve Sosebee, President and CEO of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, said: We would like to thank Moorfields for thinking of our young people in Palestine who cannot get adequate medical care locally. The PCRF and our local volunteers are delighted to be working with Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in providing treatment to Bahaa, as it is a great example of how people from all over the world can come together in the great Emirate of Dubai to help heal the wounds of war and occupation.
Dr Chris Canning, CEO and Medical Director of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, added: 'We are delighted to be able to help this young patient and especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan. We hope to be able to see Bahaa as early as possible and, if his case is appropriate, the surgery to prepare for the artificial eye will take place on the day following his examination. The ocularist needs 7-10 days to create a perfect match for his remaining natural eye and so we are probably looking at a stay in Dubai of 2-3 weeks for the patient.'
