New Day Surgery in Bethlehem Blessed
10.11.2025 | from Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
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10.11.2025, Bishop Felix Gmür visited the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem during a delegation trip and blessed the new day surgery. The project, supported by Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, represents lived solidarity between Switzerland and Palestine. With the new facility, even more children will receive medical care in the future.
The Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem is expanding further. Thanks to numerous loyal donors from Switzerland and Europe, a new day surgery is currently being built, which will significantly improve the medical care of Palestinian children and adolescents. The shell of the building is complete, and the interior work is currently advancing, with modern medical equipment being procured.
For more than 70 years, the children's hospital has been a place of care, underpinned by deep local roots and sustained support from Kinderhilfe Bethlehem in Lucerne. Bishop Felix Gmür, one of the hospital's two protectors, was able to see the progress of the construction project for himself. Together with the presidency and management of Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, he traveled to Palestine to give his blessing to the new building.
During the visit, Bishop Gmür celebrated mass in the hospital chapel and referred to the current situation. 'This visit is a sign of solidarity with the local population and especially with the children of Palestine, who have endured unimaginable suffering over the past two years.' Sibylle Hardegger, President of Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, was deeply moved: 'It is overwhelming to see how a vision becomes reality thanks to many donors.'
The expansion strengthens medical care and provides children and families in Bethlehem with hope and perspective. Many people in Switzerland also contribute to this commitment with their Christmas collections.
'We pray that this new building will contribute to a better future for all children in Palestine,' said Bishop Gmür at the end of his visit.
The Kinderhilfe Bethlehem association, based in Lucerne, runs the Caritas Baby Hospital in the West Bank. Tens of thousands of children and babies are treated there annually as inpatients or outpatients.
The hospital is fully managed by local professionals, employing 250 staff. It makes a significant contribution to strengthening the Palestinian healthcare system and is considered a leading training center for doctors and nurses in pediatric medicine.
Donation Account: IBAN CH17 0900 0000 6002 0004 7
Media Contact: Kathrin Salmon, Managing Director Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, Lucerne kathrin.salmon@khb-mail.ch, Tel. +41 41 429 00 00
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Kinderhilfe Bethlehem
Kinderhilfe Bethlehem operates the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem and supports projects for mothers and children in the Holy Land. The responsibility for the Caritas Baby Hospital lies with Kinderhilfe Bethlehem.
The Caritas Baby Hospital is the only purely pediatric hospital in the West Bank. It provides medical treatment to babies and children up to 16 years, regardless of their social background and religion.
The CBH has an outpatient clinic for outpatient treatments and 82 beds for inpatient treatment of children; of these, seven beds are in the intensive care unit (two PICU, pediatric intensive care unit, five NICU, neonatal intensive care unit). Consistent with a global trend, patients are treated on an outpatient basis whenever possible and not hospitalized. In 2015, 4,654 children were treated as inpatients and 35,311 as outpatients (a total of almost 40,000 treatments).
Children from the southern West Bank, the area between Bethlehem and Hebron, are predominantly treated at the CBH. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2014, 329,000 children under 14 years live in this region (population in the districts of Bethlehem and Hebron total: 895,000).
The southern West Bank is particularly affected by the expansion of Israeli settlements; the freedom of movement of the Palestinian population is accordingly restricted, and poverty due to lack of economic prospects is widespread.
The children's hospital is characterized by a holistic treatment approach. Mothers or parents are systematically involved in the treatment. Mothers can stay in the hospital's maternity ward and be close to their children, which positively affects the children's well-being and healing process. During their stay, women receive information and advice on hygiene, family planning, genetic diseases, nutrition, etc., as well as psychological support and can exchange experiences with other mothers. The Caritas Baby Hospital offers special consultations for pediatric specialties such as neurology, pulmonology, and cardiology.
A well-developed social service takes care of the children and their families. Social workers are consulted by medical professionals when necessary; they, among other things, assess the financial situation of families and provide assistance where needed.
Note: The "About Us" text is taken from public sources or from the company profile on HELP.ch.
Source: Kinderhilfe Bethlehem, Press release
Original article published on: Neue Tageschirurgie in Bethlehem gesegnet