On Monday, September 12^th 2011, Ambassador Norihiro Okuda of Japan  handed over medical equipment to the Palestine Hospital in Heliopolis. Dr. Younis Al Khatib, the President of Palestine Red Crescent Society, and Deputy Chief of  Mission Basheer Abu Hattab of Palestine also attended the ceremony. Ambassador Okuda delivered a speech, and met the Palestinian patients at the hospital.

This grant assistance amounting to US$ 79,982 was extended by the Government of Japan for the purpose of purchasing medical equipment to be used in the Palestine Hospital in Heliopolis run by Palestine Red Crescent Society in Egypt. By equipping the Palestine Hospital with a sterilizer, a colonoscope, and an ureteroscope, the Palestine Hospital is able to improve the safety of the service, and provide specialized service for internal medicine to treat cancers, tumors.

This is the first assistance from the government of Japan for Palestinian Refugees in Egypt. Japan has been providing assistance to Palestinian refugees in other Middle Eastern countries. The government and people of Japan believe that helping these refugees will contribute to promoting the peace in the Middle East.

Palestinian refugees constitute the biggest refugee group in Egypt with estimated population of 50,000. Since they have limited access to the medical service, the Palestine Hospital is the last resort for them where they can receive necessary medical treatment.

This grant was extended under the Japanese Government’s Assistance Scheme for Grassroots and Human Security Projects. This scheme was launched in Egypt in 1994 and 130 projects totaling over US$ 5 million have been implemented so far.