Lauren Wilkinson, our sponsored St. John Ambulance Cadet, continues to gain excellent, front-line experience with the St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital. Here's her latest report....
"On day two, we had a free day and took the opportunity to explore the old city of Jerusalem, wandering through the city's many streets and markets before going on an organised walking tour to see many of the places of interest in the city, including the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the room of the Last Supper. We returned to the hospital with tired feet after walking 15 kilometres throughout the day."
"Day three was a Sunday and started early. We were met by Khaled Zuiter, the Outreach Manager and our driver Otman. We joined the hospital staff on the Outreach, a programme where the St. John hospital team visit remote villages with the aim to screen, treat and refer patients to save their sight. The outreach programme operates for four days a week having had to be reduced from seven days due to lack of funding."
"After two-and-a-half hours drive we arrived at the village of Selet al-Harthieh, where we were greeted by a room where over 50 people were already waiting. We observed a wide range of conditions, with approximately 90% of those seen women and children, and the ages of these patients ranged from young children to the elderly. The team of nurses and doctor, Shireen, Nassa, Shaddad, saw over 70 patients by the end of the clinic, and approximately 60% of these will be referred on to the St .John Anabta clinic or Jerusalem hospital for further treatment."
"It was great to be able to see first hand the fantastic work that the hospital does in order to provide medical treatment to those who would otherwise not have access to it."
Keep up the great work, Lauren!