KHCC to host seven children with cancer from Gaza amid evacuation challenges

AMMAN — The Kingdom will be soon receiving seven children with cancer from Gaza to resume their treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) in Amman.

These children have entered Egypt through the Rafah border crossing and are expected to arrive to Jordan within 24 hours, Director General of KHCC Asem Mansour told The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

Director general of KHCC said that the seven children coming to Jordan include two children with leukaemia and two with lymphoma cancer, while the remaining three have solid tumours. 

He noted that the KHCC had been coordinating with the Palestinian Cancer Relief Fund (PCRF) and other international organisations over the past two weeks.

PCRF is currently working on evacuating a list of 41 children with cancer from Gaza, of whom 31 are expected to come to Jordan, while the rest will remain in Egypt due to their critical health condition, according to Mansour.

He said that there are obstacles to the evacuation process imposed by Israel. 

Only seven children from this list have so far been allowed to cross the Rafah border, and they will arrive to Jordan soon, each accompanied by an adult caretaker, Mansour added.

He also pointed out that this is a “preliminary list”, which includes priority cases; the PCRF is prepared to receive more cancer patients once they are able to cross the Rafah border.

Mansour had been familiarised with the case of one leukemia patient, 7-year-old Momen, who lost his entire family due to an Israeli air strike which hit their home. 

The childhas sustainedinjuries and “we’re hoping” that he will be in the next group thatenter Jordan to receive treatment at the KHCC, he said. 

Mansour added that the Ministry of Interior will be facilitating the entry procedures for all these children without identity papers, as many have lost those due to the ongoing bombardment on Gaza.

Only cancer hospital in Gaza gone out of service 

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in children in Gaza, according to Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza. Director general of KHCC said that the seven children coming to Jordan include two children with leukemia and two with lymphoma cancer, while the remaining three have solid tumours.

There are over 9,000 cancer patients in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. It said in a press conference last July that 50 per cent of cancer patients do not receive treatment due to the 17-year-old Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza.

A statement issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza on the occasion of World Cancer Day, observed on February 4, revealed that cancer was the cause of 12.5 per cent of deaths in Gaza for the year 2021.

The incidence of cancer in Gaza has increased from 89 per 100,000 residents in 2016 to 91.3 per 100,000 residents in 2021, and between 750 to 800 cancer patients die every year in Gaza, according to the statement.

It added that children under the age of 18 years make up 6.4 per cent of cancer patients, while adults above the age of 45 years account for 72 per cent of cancer patients in Gaza.

The statement revealed that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer hospital in Gaza, received 6,000 patients last year. It stated that that the hospital is expected to receive 2,000 more patients throughout the year.

Last week, Palestinian health authorities said that the hospital has gone out of service after running out of fuel due to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the territory.

Psychosocial care for received children

Director general of KHCC affirmed that the treatment plan for the children with cancer coming from Gaza will include providing them with “psychological” support in addition to medical care. 

All patients admitted to the KHCC undergo a psychosocial assessment before their referral either to a psychologist or a psychiatrist, he added, noting that the centre has an established psychosocial programme that accommodates all age groups. 

“The psychosocial aspect of cancer care is as important as the physical one, even for patients who have not experienced the trauma of war,” said Mansour.

He explained that patients diagnosed with cancer undergo drastic life changes, which is why it’s necessary for them to develop “coping mechanisms” that help them “navigate” their treatment journey. 

“Cancer patients will not be receptive of the treatment or accepting of their new reality without the needed social and psychological support,” which is often provided either through professional consultants or with the help of cancer survivors, Mansour added.