MER-C SENDS A MONITORING TEAM TO GAZA

Jakarta, 7 Jumadil Awal 1434/18 March 2013 (MINA) – Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) dispatched a monitoring team to Gaza Strip, Palestine for monitoring the construction of the Indonesian Hospital (RSI) on Friday (15/3).

“The monitoring team has a task to monitor and determine the important changes occurred unexpectedly in the development,” the head of Construction division of RSI, Faried Talib told Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)’s reporter in Jakarta.

Talib said the development of Indonesian hospital in Gaza was monitored regularly every four months. “The last Monitoring Team departed in the end of October 2012, ” he said.

The dispatched monitoring team consisted of seven volunteers, three of them are engineers. They were Faried Talib (the team leader), Wahyuni Faried, Farida Faried, Muhammad Idrus Alatas, Ahmad Syauqi, Zulkifli and Munarman.

“The Monitoring Team will monitor the physical construction. Meanwhile, Zulkifli and Munarman will see the latest conditions of Gaza, and meet the leaders there, “Talib said.

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The team departed on Friday afternoon (15/3) and scheduled to arrive in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday (16/3) at 9:30 pm local time. From Cairo airport, the team will go directly to Rafah border and go straight to Gaza.

“The team from Gaza will pick us up in Rafah border. Insha Allah, on Saturday afternoon we would have entered Gaza, ” said Talib.

Meanwhile, the Presidium of MER-C, dr. Joserizal Journalis, SpOT said that the departure of monitoring team to Gaza is a form of jihad for the professionals. ” Jihad for the professionals are to sacrifice their time and to practice their knowledge for supporting the Palestinian struggle,” the doctor said.

Previously, MER-C dispatched a volunteer named Ir. Edy Wahyudi to oversee the the second phase construction of RSI in the form of architectural work and Mechanical Electrical on February 16, 2013. He set out with three delegates from Al-Fatah Islamic boarding school Ustad M.Sholeh Iskandar, Reza Addila Kurniawan and Muqorrobin Al-Fikri who will learn the Tahfidzul Quran Tajul Waqar program in Ma’had Tahfidzul Quranul Karim wa Sunnah in Gaza.

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The RSI Development Phase Two Reaches 65 Percent

According to Talib, the second phase construction of RSI has reached 65 percent. One of the volunteers in Gaza reported that they are working to plaster the interior walls, after finishing the sidewall blocks installation of the entire room in second floors and basement. The next job is doing Mechanical Electrical.

“Please pray for the volunteers to always be in good health, be patience, sincerity and always commit their duty,” said a volunteer, Didi Karidi through a short message to MINA’s reporter.

The RSI that covers the area around 1.6 hectares, is about 2.5 km to Palestinian territory border which occupied by Israel. It is in Beit Lahiya region, northern Gaza, Palestine.

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There are 32 Indonesian volunteers have been working there. They are from various job skills, ranging from bricklayers, electricians, water experts, students to civil engineers. All volunteers come from Al-Fatah Islamic boarding school, Bogor, West Java as a partners of MER-C.

The hospital funded by Indonesian people, is a proof of a long-term friendship between Indonesian people and Palestinian people.

The total donations for the construction have now reached $ 31 million, and the cost of the second phase construction reaches $37 million. All donations are from Indonesian people from Sabang to Merauke.

After physical construction, we still need the fund for providing medical facilities, furniture, beds and other medical devices. The cost of all aquipments reaches $ 30 million.

“The second phase construction of the RSI is expected to be finished in December 2013 and start to operate in 2014,” added Faried. (L/P02/P04/P06/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)