An agreement was signed on Wednesday between the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital and the Bethlehem-based Holy Family Hospital,
which is operated by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Holy Family Hospital is a major maternity hospital serving Palestine, and over 3,500 children are born in the institution every year.
Under the two-year renewable agreement, the Bambino Gesù will provide professional support to the staff of Holy Family Hospital, including training courses.
“We are very happy with this important agreement,” said the Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel.
“The medical expertise of the Bambino Gesù, which is renowned throughout the world, can only enhance the professional reputation of our doctors and nurses who care for thousands of women in the Holy Land, which is today shaken and without peace.”
“It is an honor for us to collaborate with Holy Family Hospital and make available our expertise for the benefit of children and families in Bethlehem and the Holy Land," said Mariella Enoc, the President of the Bambino Gesù.
She also spoke about growing international presence of the Bambino Gesù, mentioning the recent initiative to train staff at a hospital in Bangui, Central African Republic.
Opened in 1869, the Bambino Gesù is the first children’s hospital in Italy, and is now the largest research Pediatric Hospital in Europe.
In addition to the project announced on Wednesday, the institution is involved in projects in Jordan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Central African Republic.