logo 
News
Dua'a Ali Hasan
19yr old Dua’a is from the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. Her family, originally from a village near Haifa, were made refugees in 1948. Although very short sighted, Dua’a was a bright child at school and was able to begin studying for a degree in Physics at the Al Najjar University in Nablus.
Her father has not worked
for several years and her
family is extremely poor.
The family has social
welfare classification and are supported by UNRWA (United Nations Works and Refugee Agency) in the form of food aid and medical insurance, and with help from friends and neighbours.
The fees for Dua’a’s University
course are paid by the
Charitable Centre for
Ladies in Nablus.
In August 2009, Dua’a came to the hospital with loss of vision in the right eye from what proved to be a retinal detachment. The vision in her left eye is so low that it cannot be improved, so this was her only properly functioning eye. Though retinal detachment is a medical emergency, UNRWA could not afford to pay the full cost of surgery and Dua’a was lucky that we were able to finance the balance of the cost of her operation through the Australian Women’s Fund.
Dua’a underwent complicated retinal surgery at the Jerusalem Hospital, as well as removal of the lens and insertion of an intra-ocular lens. Her vision three weeks after surgery had improved so much that she is now able to see the fourth line of the eye chart whilst wearing a contact lens. Before surgery she could hardly see the chart at all.
Without the help of our Eye Hospital staff, Dua’a could well have lost her sight altogether. As it is, she is now able to return to University to continue her studies.