In Nazareth there is a hospital providing care to all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, ethnicity and economic conditions: a place where the daily medical efforts to cure disease and suffering plant seeds of hope and peace.
This hospital is a special place, with a staff of 300 people – Jews, Muslims and Christians – working together to provide health services to their also multi-ethnic patients.
In 2006, the Maternity Department of the Holy Family Hospital was one of the best in the north of the state, but had no Neonatology and Intensive Care Department to assist children born with critical health conditions. Hope Onlus set out to respond to this urgent need and in only 18 months’ time the Holy Family Hospital had its Neonatology and Intensive Care Unit.
The creation of this new ward, part of a broader development plan for this healthcare facility, was developed by Hope by focusing its action in two specific areas of intervention: 1) the definition of a Scientific Project, consisting of a training programme in collaboration with the San Gerardo Paediatric Hospital of Monza; 2) the definition of the Technical Project for the development and actual construction of the department itself.
For this project Hope involved 35 professionals with proven experience (doctors, nurses, architects, engineers, health technicians) who worked for free to create the department and rapidly train the staff.
The new structure covers 500 square meters and can accommodate 10 children in neonatal intensive care and 50 in neonatology. The creation of the Neonatology and Intensive Care Department of the Holy Family Hospital was possible thanks to the precious financial support of Fondazione Milan, of the Lombardy Region, and to all those who made a donation to Hope to help to the new-born of Nazareth.
