Isak Abu Sbieh is a Palestinian dialysis patient at the Lutheran World Federation‘s Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem. Abu Sbieh lives in Kafr Aqb, an Arab village just beyond the Kalandia checkpoint north of Jerusalem. Three times a week Abu Sbieh must pass back and forth through the Kalandia checkpoint on his way to AVH for dialysis.
Kalandia is the main checkpoint between the northern West Bank and Jerusalem. The checkpoint is used by the Israeli military to control Palestinian access to East Jerusalem and Israel. Israel requires Palestinians to have permits to pass through the checkpoint to East Jerusalem and Israel for their work, medical care, education or for religious reasons. Kalandia is only 8 miles from Augusta Victoria Hospital, but the checkpoint process often takes 2-3 hours each way. Without dialysis, Abu Sbieh would perish.
Augusta Victoria Hospital AVH is the first and only hospital to provide radiation therapy for cancer patients in the Palestinian territories and is the only medical facility in the West Bank offering pediatric kidney dialysis.
The Rev. Eric C. Shafer and I recorded this story in February, 2016.
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