AFTER CEASE FIRE, VOLUNTEERS RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF INDONESIAN HOSPITAL IN GAZA
2012-11-28, 02:49:47
Gaza, 13 Muharram 1434/27 November 2012 (MINA) – After the Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, Indonesia volunteers have resumedthe construction of Indonesian hospital project in Gaza, a humanitarian project initiated by Medical Emergency Rescue-Committee (MERC-C) with funds from the people of Indonesia.
“Indonesian volunteers are currently carrying out work on building the walls of the first and second floors of the five-storey hospital project,” said the correspondent of Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) in Gaza who was contacted from Jakarta, Tuesday evening.
During the eight days of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip beginning 14 November to 21 November when a truce reached, the volunteers had in fact continued working in accordance with the instructions from Jakarta. They worked at the basement floorbecause of security precaution.
At the peak of the air strikes by Israeli warplanes to various targets in Gaza, a bomb fell and destroyed a building just 100 meters away from the hospital project. The location of the project is just 2.5km from the border wall with Israel at Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza.
The 1.6 hectares of land where the project stands was once a training ground for Gaza fighters, before being approved by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza to be used by MERC-C as the location for the hospital.
In the project, 28 Indonesian volunteers of various skill jobs, from carpenters to civil engineers are working. These volunteers are the personnel of the Al Fatah Islamic School network in Indonesia, whodr central base is at Cileungsi, Bogor, West Java.
The physical condition of the volunteers were well maintained and is not much affected by the cold weather during this winter season in Gaza. “They anticipate the cold weather by wearing thick jackets while working,” said the MINA correspondent. 
The 100-bed hospital project is now entering the second phase of its construction and construction of the electrical system. The total cost up to the stage of physical development is Rp30 billion (approximately US$30 million), with the remaining need for funding needs is being raised in Indonesia.
After physical development, funding will still be needed for support and medical facilities, from furniture, beds to medical devices. Total funding requirements for a variety of devices is budgeted at Rp15 billion, roughly US$15 million.
The amount does not include modern medical devices such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The hospital is scheduled to treat its first patients in early 2014. (T-R010/R03).
Miraj News Agency (MINA)
