While competing in a national karate tournament, 12 year old Haitham Hmidat felt a piercing pain in his right knee.
He was forced to withdraw from the competition. His concerned parents took him to the family doctor at a Palestinian Red Crescent Society clinic near their home town in the southern West Bank.
“Haitham first came in on a crutch, with a slight muscular and ligament rupture in his knee cap,” said Dr. Issa Qdeimat, who has been working at the clinic for 10 years. “I prescribed a medicine, which ANERA delivered in May, and it has really helped him.”
The medicine, donated by AmeriCares as is a prescription medication called Indocin (Indomedicin) relieves pain, stiffness and swelling. ANERA distributed the medicine to several charitable clinics and hospitals around the West Bank.
“What makes this donated medicine excellent is that it is not in the dosage form of capsules, but syrup, which is much easier to take, especially for kids. You can’t find it in this form anywhere else in the West Bank. It is light on the stomach, and tastes and smells good too,” explained the doctor.
Charitable clinics, like the 24/7 clinic where Dr. Qdeimat works, can provide the medicine free of charge. Dr. Qdeimat says most of the patients now taking Indocin could not afford to buy it.
“ANERA has always been our clinic’s biggest donor and supporter. Not only have older kids and adults with ligament and muscular inflammation and joint problems benefited from this recent donation of Indocin, they have also used other medicines and ointments donated through ANERA to speed-up their recovery or ease their joints’ pain,” explained Dr. Qdeimat.
Haitham has been practicing Karate since he was seven years old. He has a brown belt already and is working hard to reach the next level. He worried that he would not be able to reach his goal. Thanks to the Indocin, he expects to return to Karate after a brief rest on Dr. Qdimat’s orders. “It was only a week ago that his parents brought him here but his knee is already making great progress. He’ll be back to practicing Karate in no time.”
Haitham loves math and Arabic but after his knee injury he wants to learn more about medicine. “I want to be a doctor like Dr. Qdeimat,” he smiles with determination. “I’d love to help other people like he’s been doing.”
