Mahmoud is a tiny baby who was born premature at the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem last August. His mother, Saja, had already had three baby boys all delivered at the Order of Malta’s maternity hospital.

Her pregnancy had been smooth and up to the sixth month she had reported no discomfort. But on 26 August she woke up feeling in pain. Her husband decided to drive to the Hospital their hometown in south east of Bethlehem to have her wife checked. Once she was visited, the doctors decided there was no time to waste: the baby was delivered at only 25 weeks, weighing less than one kilogram. Mahmoud needed ventilation and intensive care, and today – 4 months later – he is still in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) of the hospital. is not yet formally out of danger, but life expectancy is increasing day by day. Mahmoud is not yet formally out of danger, but his life expectancy is increasing day by day.

“It was a very scary experience especially because we didn’t know what was going to happen or what the outcome would be, but the staff of Holy Family Hospital is providing my baby the best medical care they may give”, said Saja.

Since 1990, the Holy Family Hospital has delivered more than 90,000 babies and cared for many thousand more either born prematurely or with congenital pathologies. The Hospital is the only facility in the region with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and offers regular check-ups bringing pre and post-natal assistance to women in the nearby villages.