Jan. 27 – The Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesù and the Italian hospital in Karak (Jordan), founded in 1935 by the National Association for the Assistance of Italian Missionaries and run by the Comboni Missionary Sisters, are setting up a medical mission for Syrian and Palestinian children who fled to Jordan with their families. The agreement was signed last October; the first mission took place between November 18 and December 2; and involved a specialist in neurology in Karak. It An initial operating inspection for the two camps of Mafraq also took place in Al Zatari, home to 115,000 Syrian refugees where the Italian government has set up a prefabricated hospital, and Jerash, where according to estimates at least 30,000 Palestinian refugees live. Located about 150 kilometers south of Amman, Karak has 60,000 inhabitants. The province of Karak welcomes 300,000 inhabitants, of which many foreign workers: Egyptians, Sri Lankans, Chinese, Pakistanis, Kurds, and the Syrian, Palestinians and Iraqis refugees. Christians represent about 5% of the entire population of Jordan. “The mission – said the press office of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in a statement – has identified a large number of patients with neuro-genetic diseases, such as hereditary neuropathies. In all, over 150 patients were visited: 10 families received genetic screening and the collected material is currently being analyzed in the laboratories of Roman Hospital. The project will continue in the coming months for additional support in dedicated areas for both Syrian refugees and the local population.” At the same time, thanks to an agreement signed last November between the Bambino Gesù, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, and Caritas Lebanon, the commitment in favor of Syrian refugees in Lebanon continues. “Despite the security and meteorological problems (heavy snowfall hit the area in the month of December) – explains the hospital – the mobile medical unit organized by Caritas Lebanon in December and January was able to visit about 210 young Syrian refugees for a total of nearly 900 visits.”
