The move is in response to an appeal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to address the health needs of people from Gaza
Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin. (file photo)(Image: Collins Photo Agency)
A group of seven Palestinian children have arrived in Ireland to receive medical care after being evacuated from Gaza.
The move is in response to an appeal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to address the health needs of people from Gaza.
This is the fifth medical evacuation from Gaza to Ireland, bringing the total number of children treated here to 27 since September 2024.
The children and accompanying family members travelled overland from Gaza to Jordan in a WHO medevac convoy and were accompanied from Jordan by an Irish medical team on a plane provided by the Norwegian Government.
They will undergo medical assessments over the coming days with teams from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), coordinated by the Inclusion Health Service at CHI Temple Street. CHI will continue to provide long-term care for these patients and over time, many will be discharged or transferred to other hospitals to continue on an out patient basis.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “This has been a lengthy and complex operation, with several government departments collaborating with our international partners.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Image: Stephen Collins/ Collins Photos)
“I want to commend everyone involved for their commitment, and to express my gratitude to the medical teams at CHI whose expertise is saving and improving the lives of children evacuated from Gaza.
“I wish the seven patients and their families well as they begin their treatment here.”
Under this initiative the children and their families are housed in accommodation managed by the Irish Red Cross.
The care package being provided includes caseworker and translation services to ensure that the patients and their carers are well looked after and have assistance in accessing all services as needed.
In addition, the HSE will provide appropriate psycho-social assessment for both patients and carers. All patients and carers received health screening prior to travel to Dublin.
HSE National Medical Evacuation Coordinator Dr Ciaran Browne said the children involved are very sick.
He added: “The children we evacuated today are still very sick and in need of urgent treatment.
“We immediately commenced treatment for some of the children even before they arrived in Ireland. We know that they will have a long road to recovery but they will receive world class care at CHI.”
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