The first phase of training is underway in Nuoro, leading to the opening of the future Transplant Center at the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah , West Bank. The leader of the program is Dr. Mohand Abulihya , a Palestinian physician currently undergoing specialist training at San Francesco Hospital in Nuoro. He is mastering flow cytometry techniques and, in particular, hematopoietic stem cell counting, a crucial step in initiating bone marrow transplants.

The training takes place in the Hematology Laboratory under the supervision of Marco Murineddu , head of the flow cytometry sector, within the Operating Unit directed by Angelo Palmas. The initiative is part of a project promoted by the non-governmental organization Soleterre and involves, in addition to the Nuoro center, two other leading Italian institutions: the IRCCS San Gerardo in Monza and the Sa Camillo Hospital in Rome.

The goal is to transfer clinical and laboratory skills to enable the launch of transplant operations in Ramallah. "This phase represents intensive training aimed at imparting operating procedures," explains Angelo Palmas, Director of the Hematology Department at Nuoro. The program includes further steps already scheduled. In May, an Italian delegation composed of specialists from Nuoro, Monza, and Rome will travel to Ramallah to continue their training directly at the Istishari Arab Hospital.

The first stem cell collections are scheduled for September , while clinical activity with the first transplants could begin in October . Currently, Palestinian patients requiring bone marrow transplants must be transferred abroad, particularly to Jordan. The estimated cost exceeds $300,000 per procedure , with a significant impact on both public spending and families.

The opening of the transplant center in Ramallah would therefore reduce costs and ensure specialized care directly in the community . "We are proud of this collaboration," stated Francesco Trotta, Director General of the Nuoro Local Health Authority (ASL 3), "which strengthens the role of Nuoro Hematology in a scientific and healthcare cooperation project of high humanitarian value."

© Riproduzione riservata