During three consecutive days, a group of medical doctors and technicians form Sheba medical center in Tel-Hashomer hospital, had joined together to set up Hearing Aid Project that targeted inhabitants of the West-Bank (Palestine) who are in need of hearing aids. They set up a center in Tulkarem for patients from all over the West-Bank, from Hebron in the South up to Jenin in the North.

These three days were the first phase in an on going project, which proceeded by intensive activity all over the West-Bank, initiated and led by Mr. Salah Hay Yihyeh, Director of Medical Aid to the Occupied Territories (PHR-Israel), to locate and record all those persons in need of hearing aids. Appropriate medical forms were forwarded to the team at Sheba Hospital, where they were checked by ENT specialists and by hearing technicians.

Starting on Monday, April 4th, a group of more than 30 specialists in the field traveled to a school in Tulkarem; this school served as a center for an initial general ENT check-up, including cleaning the auditory channels of patient ears and ended by performing audiograms. Inhabitants from all over the West-Bank responded massively to this initiative.

On the first day the delegation was greeted very warmly by the Governor of the area, Colonel Talal Davikat, who welcomed all participating delegates and thanked PHR- Israel, Sheba Hospital and the American company for their significant and generous gift. He stressed the importance of the peace process and expressed the hope that negotiations by the two parties will be resumed in the near future.

The general director of Sheba Hospital, Dr. Zeev Rotstein, thanked the hosts for their warm reception, and expressed the importance of the project, which does not differentiate between nationality, religion or race. He hoped to see this as a step towards building a bridge between the two nations.

In the name of PHR-Israel spoke Salah Hay Yihyeh.

Present at the ceremony were also vice-governor, representatives of the Tulkarem Municipality, and representatives of many local NGO's and organizations who helped indicate and refer patients in need of hearing aids.

The representative of the American fund, Mr. Frederick Rondew, spoke about the project in the occupied territories and in Israel, and mentioned that the project is going on all over the world.

Heavy security was taken care of by the Palestinian security forces; they accompanied the delegation from the moment the group passed the checkpoint of entry until their return in the evening. A very good atmosphere was evident, and the group felt very much at home.

During three days of activity, over 1000 patients were examined by the group, which was directed under the leadership of Professor Rafi Walden, member of the board of PHR-Israel and vice-director of Sheba Hospital. Patients will receive their individual hearing aids after preparation of the required settings in the US by the Starkey Company. The distribution of the hearing aid is expected towards the end of May.

Many inhabitants expressed their deep-felt gratitude and recognition to PHR and all those who were spearheading this project, which will appreciably ameliorate the defective hearing of many persons, and especially children of school-age.

More will be reported at a later stage.