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BY KATHI STEARNS
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--Cardinal James Hickey, archbishop of Washington, D.C., asked
members of The Order of Malta in the Atlanta Archdiocese to contribute to an
endowment campaign for Holy Family Hospital, a leading obstetric facility in
Bethlehem serving many in Palestinian refugee camps.
During a gathering at the residence of Archbishop John F. Donoghue in May,
Cardinal Hickey reminded members of The Order of Malta that it was their
responsibility to bring compassion and benevolence into areas of the world
where there is much human suffering.
Pope John Paul II has cited Holy Family Hospital as one of his leading
priorities for the new millennium. The hospital requires a $20 million
endowment in the U.S. in order to ensure that there will always be an
outstanding maternity hospital in Bethlehem. European members of The Order of
Malta have committed to raising $10 million.
“Our Holy Father has called on us to sustain this hospital,” said
Cardinal Hickey. “When the Holy Father makes a request we need to do our
best to carry out his wishes.”
The hospital, which is located approximately 500 yards from the birthplace
of Jesus, was founded in 1888 by the French Sisters of Charity. For nearly a
century these sisters provided medical care under the most difficult
conditions, but in 1985 they were forced to close the hospital because of
insufficient funding. At that time the operation and management of Holy Family
Hospital was transferred to The Order of Malta, a 900-year-old order founded in
the Holy Land.
In 1990 the order refurbished a portion of the old hospital and converted
the facility into a modern, well-equipped maternity unit. Since then Holy
Family Hospital has been able to provide state-of-the-art maternal and child
health care, modern birthing facilities and a comprehensive neonatal intensive
care unit for premature babies.
Despite the challenging conditions in Bethlehem, the hospital remains
dedicated to medical excellence. The hospital has fully trained obstetric
specialists, midwives and nurses who provide care for mothers and their newborn
babies. Additionally, the hospital staffs a clinic which provides prenatal care
and education to expectant mothers.
The hospital is in an area of over 75 percent unemployment among adult men
and one-quarter of those who come to the hospital live in refugee camps. The
rate of premature deliveries at the hospital is 15 percent. The infant
mortality rate is three times that of developed countries. The nearest
maternity hospital, located in Jerusalem, is made nearly inaccessible by
political strife.
“Holy Family Hospital is a haven for pregnant women and their babies in
a region of high maternal and infant mortality rates,” said Baron Albrecht
von Boeselager, hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. “For
those who have not seen it, I can attest to its standards, its state-of-the-art
medical excellence and its quality of care for those who would be in great
danger without it.”
Despite the difficulties, since the hospital reopened in 1990 no mother has
died in childbirth at Holy Family Hospital. Last year more than 3,000 babies
were delivered there.
Even with stringent cost controls, the hospital operates at an annual loss
of between $600,000 and $700,000 because only 53 percent of the total budget is
supplied by patient revenue. Only 20 percent of the population near the
hospital is insured. In order to sustain the hospital, voluntary contributions
are needed.
“This is exactly the kind of circumstance which I believe demands our
attention and charitable focus, and underscores our mission,” said
Boeselager. “I wholeheartedly endorse the campaign and ask that you give
it your utmost consideration.”
For further information on the endowment campaign, call (202) 331-2494.
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