Open Heart

2006, 22 minutes

Four years ago Iham and Jihad lost their third child on the operating table. Now their nine month old son Jamal's life is threatened by congenital heart disease, for which no affordable treatment is available. With the aid of the charity The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), a British surgeon's arrival in Palestine offers hope for the future. But first the Samara family must travel from their home in the West Bank and through Israeli checkpoints to Makassed hospital in Jerusalem, before the real journey can even begin. An emotional journey that highlights the plight of the struggling Palestinian health care system under occupation, from the perspective of doctor, patient and humanitarian organisation.

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