OF MISERY AND HOPE IN BURJ AL-BARAJNEH

By Ravichandran D.J Paul

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- The alleys are narrow, unevenly
tarred and barely enough to allow a car. Shabby looking dwellings rise
haphazardly on both sides of the alley, and they block the sunlight and the
view.

Children can be seen playing in these alleys, sordid in some sections,
and there is an unsightly web of electric cables above. Clean water is in short
supply and daily blackouts are the norm.

This is the condition at the Burj Al-Barajneh Refugee Camp where more
than 20,000 Palestinians are crammed within four square kilometers with
extremely limited public amenities and the constant specter of war.

The camp located in south Lebanon that started with tents has evolved
into an overcrowded settlement over the last three decades and it is now growing
vertically due to space constraints. Worst still, unlike their counterparts in
Syria and Jordan, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are considered foreigners and
have limited excess to employment, public health, education and social services.

Life is difficult in this poverty stricken neighbourhood but the
shortcomings are made up by the will of the people.

This is the description of life at Burj Al-Barajneh provided by four
medical students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) who
recently completed their six-week elective posting at the Haifa Hospital located
within the camp.

As for Mohd Aizuddin Sahak, Muhammad Adil Zainal Abidin, Ahmad Fakhruddin Md
Salleh and Siti Syaima Mohammed Ab. Halim, all year four medical students at
IIUM's medical faculty in east coast town of Kuantan, the short stint provided
valuable lessons not only on humanitarian work but also on the misery and hopes
of the stateless Palestinians.

Instead of opting for postings within the country, the four thought
of an all-new experience similar to the humanitarian work conducted by the
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), a French based
non-governmental organisation.

They are medical students from a well equipped faculty and a familiar
surrounding but were curious on what it takes to work as a doctor in a different
setting, albeit a challenging one.

Mohd Aizuddin, 24, related that the war in Gaza earlier this year inspired
the foursome to help the Palestinians and hoped that their endeavour would
inspire other medical students to follow suit in offering humanitarian aid.

But just how they ended up in Burj Al-Barajneh? It is all because of
Siti Syaima whose father Mohammed Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman was the Malaysian
ambassador to Lebanon then.

The trade commissioner and diplomat knew he had to find the best of
the worst refugee camp to provide the best experience for the four and at the
same time had to ensure their safety in the volatile region.

The Haifa Hospital in Burj Al-Barajneh was the best choice for their
posting while the chosen place of stay was at another camp, Mar Elias, located
8km southeast of Beirut, Lebanon's capital.

"When I visited the hospital for the first time, I not only felt pity
for the hospital but also for all of you," said Mohammed Abdul Halim to the four
referring to the state of the hospital during a talk organised by the Malaysian
Social Research Institute (MSRI) recently.

Mohammed ended his tour of duty recently and returned home with the
team. The team's mission was sponsored by MSRI, the main sponsor, the Alami
Group, Mohammed Abdul Halim and Mohammed Firdaus Mohammed Ab. Halim.

Work in Haifa Hospital and life in Burj al-Barajneh provided a new
learning perspective for the four. It is a stark contrast with what they have
seen and been through in Malaysia.

The state of the Haifa Hospital attests to the plight of the Palestinian
refugees who not only have lost their homeland but also have been denied a
decent life.

The small four-level hospital is numerically depleted in personnel and
equipment though it has all the four main departments - medical, pediatrics,
obstetrics and gynecology and surgery.

The hospital has 45 beds, the ICU lacks proper setting and equipment,
some of the passages are so narrow that it is difficult to push a stretcher
through, there is no place for waiting patients to sit, the incubator is not
operational as there are no paediatric nurses available, and no clear
demarcation of clean and aseptic areas, and blackouts are frequent.

Muhammad Adil, 25, remarked "here we had to go back to the basics in
treating patients and this is a good way to learn" illustrating the shortcomings
at the hospital.

"It is a world of a difference when compared with the modern Kuantan
Hospital. But the irony is that the Kuantan hospital caters for 30,000 people
while the small under-equipped Haifa Hospital caters for more than 20,000
people," noted the second member of the team who hails from Shah Alam, Selangor.

Despite the limited number of beds, the occupancy rate is about 60
per cent only because the turnover rates are high and many patients referred to
other hospitals as the treatment available here is limited.

Ahmad Fakharuddin, 25, from Sungai Petani, Kedah, the third member of the
team, observed that important diagnostic tools like the Doppler Ultrasound for
obstetric and gynecology diagnosis were not available.

"Even the existing ones breakdown often and when this happened during
surgery we panicked but the local doctors remained calm and composed as they
were so used to it," he added.

The doctors and nurses are a demoralised lot. They are mostly low
paid Palestinians who are overworked and discriminated. They have to take a
second job to make ends meet. Lebanese doctors and other foreign doctors also
make their rounds at the hospital and this provides some relief.

"During our posting, there was only one anesthesiologist who had his
hands on three operations simultaneously.

"But as for the patients, they are happy as long as there is a hospital in
their neighbourhood that cares for them," said Ahmad Fakharuddin, adding that if
they are to seek treatment at Lebanese hospitals they have to bear the full cost
except in cases where United Nations Relief and Works Aid (UNRWA) bears or
subsidises the cost.

The students during their posting at the camp also conducted a brief study
on Palestinian health problems.

Due to the lack of proper sanitation, drinking water and healthcare,
Palestinians are exposed to a host of diseases like typhoid, gastrointestinal
tract infections, worm infestations, skin diseases and even pneumonia. Lack of
nutrition is also a problem here.

Another interesting finding is that the Palestinians in the camp practice
consanguineous marriages and this is probably why inherited diseases like sickle
cell anemia and thalassemia are quite prevalent in the community.

Smoking too is a serious problem in the camp with nine out of 10 people can
be seen smoking with some of them as young as 16. The first hand smoke causes
second hand smoke and this increases the risk of respiratory diseases for
everyone at the camp.

Depression is also a cause of concern with women being more susceptible
to this problem. Mohd Azuddin pointed that poverty, hardships, an unstable
environment and their statelessness also contribute to this condition.

Meanwhile, the team also learned an interesting aspect of the Palestinian
culture, their remarkable hospitality. And Siti Syaima, 24, will tell you how
remarkable that can be?

"We were actually pre-warned by some of the Malaysians living in Lebanon not
to compliment anything in their homes, as the host would offer you whatever you
compliment as a gift. The Palestinians are big hearted when comes to giving
though they may not have much to offer," she added.

The team was surprised that the Palestinians knew quite a good deal
about Malaysia. Most of them have heard of the Petronas Twin Towers and the
beautiful islands of Langkawi and Tioman. They also admire Malaysia's former
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the country's rapid development. They
are intrigued by the fact that Malaysia is a harmonious multiracial country.

Palestinians in Burj Al-Barajneh don't get to meet many foreigners, or
people outside of their camp, so when they meet outsiders they are overjoyed.

"We enjoyed the children's company. The children would stop to chat
with us each time they passed by, and they would offer whatever they have in
their hands as a show of appreciation. We were also invited to their homes
several times just to have coffee and chat," said Siti Syaima.

It seems that it is the dream of every Palestinian in the camp to return to
their respective hometowns. Ask any child of their home and they are bound to
give the names of the hometowns of their parents or grandparents and certainly
not Burj Al-Barajneh.

"The thought of returning to their homeland is deeply embedded in their
psyche. They often carry the keys of their homes that they abandoned hoping that
one day they could return," noted Muhammad Adil.
Siti Syaima best summed up the team's sojourn in Burj Al-Barajneh.

"We experienced the real life situation in the Palestinian refugee
camp. We now know what they lack, and what they need. By knowing this, we can
try to help them in terms of medical services rather than just giving donations
to an unknown organisation without knowing how the money is used or whether the
money actually reaches them.

"We are also aware that back in Malaysia, as we are blessed with modern
facilities, we have become too dependent on technology in diagnosing and
managing patients. At the Haifa Hospital we were impressed by the fact that the
doctors were extremely creative in utilising the limited equipment and
facilities available to treat patients. The shortcomings inadvertently have
enhanced their clinical skills.

"Till today, we keep in touch with the Palestinian staff at the hospital
via e-mail, sms and even facebook!" said Siti Syaima.

If given a chance to return, the foursome said they are ready to go
back and serve the people of Burj Al-Barajneh. While the mission provided a
memorable experience for Mohd Aizuddin, Muhammad Adil, Ahmad Fakhruddin and Siti
Syaima, the Palestinians in Burj Al-Barajneh will take comfort that people as
far as Malaysia still care for them.
-- BERNAMA