GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE, January 13, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PCRF Press Release
For Immediate Release
13/01/2023, GAZA STRIP

13th January 2023: Vascular surgeon from Wisconsin travels to Palestine and saves the life of a 4 year old child.

Dr. Mark Asplund - vascular surgeon from Wausau, WI - has completed the second day of his week-long volunteer mission with The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) to the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Today, saving the life of a 4 year old child in Palestine - repairing a damaged femoral artery.

Dr. Asplund is a long-time volunteer with PCRF, leading several previous surgery missions to the occupied territories to treat complex patients and help train local surgeons. This mission aims to help assess - on a larger scale - the needs of Vascular surgery.

As a member of the Vascular Surgery Committee, Dr. Asplund will help guide and advise PCRF’s Medical Advisory Board, on how to build long-term sustainable services for improved patient care.

Dr. Mark Asplund’s schedule for the volunteer mission this week in Gaza:
- Site visits and assessments to medical departments in Gaza.
- Consulting on PCRF patient care training programs.
- Supporting PCRF training and interventions to improve Palestinian healthcare.

Dr. Mark Asplund has previously completed voluntary mission through PCRF - who have sponsored over 500 missions since 1995. PCRF founder and president - Steve Sosebee - states:

“Dr. Mark Asplund’s visit is critical to improving the quality of health services for poor people who depend on public health care for the treatment that they need and deserve. The only way a nonprofit like PCRF can be effective in improving Vascular surgery in Palestine is to first have an expert and professional assess their needs, and the only way to do that is to have someone like Dr. Asplund go there and meet every department head and see every hospital, and then report back to us as to what we need to do to help.”

January mission goal: Guiding PCRF on how to best intervene and build strategic improved training and support for local surgeons in Gaza.
Dr. Mark Asplund, states:

“I have been to Palestine twice - both West Bank and Gaza - on vascular surgery missions with PCRF, so I have some up front knowledge. I return as a consultant for PCRF to visit multiple hospitals in West Bank and Gaza - to assess the status of vascular surgery currently. Vascular surgery has undergone a revolution worldwide becoming minimally invasive, but to practice, one needs much more in the way of technical equipment. The goal this week is to assess what the needs are, and what PCRF can practically do. Steve Sosebee has identified a need, and hopefully PCRF can do what it does best: fill that need.”

PCRF is the leading humanitarian relief organization in the Middle East, providing surgery in local hospitals. PCRF brings teams of volunteer doctors and nurses to operate on children and provides training and experience to local staff.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors:

Dr. Mark Asplund is availble for comment.
Steve Sosebee is availble for comment.
PCRF representative is availble for comment.

PCRF: The Palestine Children's Relief Fund was established in 1992 by concerned humanitarians in the Unites States of America - to bring injured and sick children for free medical care that was not accessible locally. Since 1992, PCRF has sent over 2,000 sick and injured children for free medical care.

PCRF has sponsored hundreds of volunteer medical teams from all over the world - facilitating the treatment of tens-of-thousands of sick and injured children in local hospitals.

PCRF has built two pediatric cancer departments in Palestine and has several programs and projects taking place to help support the development of a sustainable health-care system there.

PCRF is a grassroots organization that depends on the support of thousands of volunteers from all over the world.

PCRF Missions: PCRF is the main NGO in the world sponsoring volunteer teams of doctors and nurses from all over the world. Volunteers give their time and expertise in treating sick and injured children in Palestine and Lebanon's refugee camps, as well as training local care providers. Since 1995 - when PCRF sent the first surgeon to the West Bank - until now, over 500 missions have been sponsored in such areas as pediatric cardiac surgery, orthopedics, urology, maxillofacial surgery, general pediatric surgery, hand surgery, ophthalmic surgery, neurosurgery and many more.

Maya L Yglesias H
GW.org
+44 7534 917154
maya.y@thisisgoodwork.org
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