The Triumph of our Clinic in the North

Anabta Satellite Flourishing

Our Clinic in Anabta is currently on a roll!  Presided over by Doctor-in-Charge Sami Sukhtian and Nurse-in-Charge, Hani Abu El Haji, everyday more patients arrive at the centre than the day before.  Monthly, attendance is up on last year – when more people than ever before in the Hospital Group’s 129 history came through our doors.  

The Knights Templar’s wonderful gift of the OCT and FFA machines to the Clinic can only serve to further enhance the Clinic’s efficacy. 

In Anabta, the average number of patients seen daily is already between 70 and 80, with numbers rising to as many as 100 on days when specialist clinics are available.  The majority of the patients seen are either diabetic or paediatric: Sufferers of diabetes constitute around 30% of the patients, while children with squints make up about 25%.

The town is home to some 8,300 residents, many of whom are from Gaza.  Those living in the area number amongst the poorest of the poor in the OPT. 

Located six miles (nine kilometers) east of Tulkarm and 56 miles (90 kilometres) from Jerusalem, Anabta is a rural and very peaceful town.  Most of its exterior lands are planted with olives, figs and almonds or covered by forests.  Some of the town’s olive trees are said to date back to the time of the Roman Empire.

Currently within Tulkarm district's Area A, according to the 1993 Oslo Accords, Anabta is under full security and civil jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.  The Israeli Einav settlement is situated to the southeast of the city and an Israeli checkpoint positioned at the eastern entrance of the town effectively controls residents’ access to the rest of the northern West Bank. 

However, nestled between two large hills, the town was chosen as the location of our third satellite centrebecause of its central location. Surrounded by eight villages and within distance of all of the major surrounding cities, it is, in theory, accessible to a population approaching 950,000 people.

In its four year history – with its new equipment, dedicated staff and burgeoning attendances – Anabta has become a heartening success story.  Since its inaugural year in 2007, attendances have risen by over 300%.  By the end of 2010, 38,433 patients had passed through its doors. 

And the broader implications of this success for the region are financial.  Almost 40,000 local families will no longer suffer the economic burden of caring for someone with impaired vision.  Anabta is a sterling example of the Hospital Group in action!