The ongoing situation in Palestine is terrible, yet Caritas Baby Hospital (CBH) visiting doctor Andrea Pettenazzo refuses the call of his family in Italy requesting to leave Bethlehem. Dr. Pettenazzo comments: “the tragedies are scary but the local community is resilient and unfortunately has become somewhat adapted to such challenges.” At the present moment, he finds a sense of security, yet there is an underlying worry about the uncertain future, given the lack of clarity in the circumstances.
Dr. Pettenazzo, an Italian Pediatrician, became familiar with CBH around 10 years ago when the University of Padua initiated a collaboration with CBH for a nursing program. Since then, Dr. Andrea made a personal commitment to visit CBH regularly sharing his expertise and exchanging knowledge with the hospital’s staff.
During his first visit to CBH, Dr. Pettenazzo was impressed by the staff’s enthusiasm for learning, which motivated him to return. His contributions to CBH include providing lectures to the hospital’s medical and paramedical teams and training on specific medical procedures especially in the field of pediatric intensive care. He also actively participates in the doctors’ morning rounds to ensure ongoing improvements in patient care.
Dr. Pettenazzo believes in CBH's potential for further growth and development with the dedication of the hospital's staff. Dr. Andrea stated: "I have witnessed significant improvements in both knowledge and practices among the staff, especially when compared to my first visit”.
