Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children

The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre was founded in1965. The building was inaugurated by Princess Basma, a sister of the late King Hussein of Jordan, at the time when Jerusalem was under the sovereignty of Jordan. The Centre is strategically located between the Makassad and the Augusta Victoria Hospitals on the Mount of Olives.





Background
Health Programs
Progress Reports
   

Since its establishment, the Princess Basma Centre has been instrumental in the process of rehabilitation and education of hundreds of children with special needs from all over Palestine. Through the various forms of treatments and help, the Centre has given these children an opportunity to be integrated within the family and community and thus they are able to lead a fuller life.

Children under the age of 15 are admitted for a period of one week to three months, depending on need. Being a charitable, non-governmental, non-profit institution, the children's families are charged a nominal fee of one hundred dollars a month. (Results from a cost analysis conducted in 1998 showed that the actual cost per day per child is US$120.00. Mothers are admitted with their child free of charge.

As well as basic medical care, the services at the centre include:

  • physiotherapy
  • hydrotherapy
  • recreational therapy
  • occupational centre
    • has the biggest workshop in the West Bank for the making of prosthetic and orthotic devices
  • academic school
    • 2 kindergarten
    • 6 elementary mainstream education classes
  • out-patient physiotherapy department
    • treats between 25-35 clients daily from within the East Jerusalem area and other areas in the west bank.

The Princess Basma Centre has been chosen to be the National Resource and Referral Centre for the physically disabled by the Palestine National Authority - Ministry of Health.