Those who were present at the 1825 KT ceremony demonstration in Winchester Guildhall will recall that the Great Vice-Chancellor referred to an appeal for £110,000 which our Grand Master was going to launch for a specific piece of equipment for the Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Having now launched this appeal, it is to be spread over two years and will be in addition to the usual annual contributions made by each Province and Preceptory.
The name ‘ANABTA’ is derived from the location of the Centre for the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, run by the St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group, located in the village of Anabta, in North of the West Bank.
Diabetic Retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes mellitus. This disease is the most common cause of blindness in working age populations across the globe and its spread has reached pandemic proportions, with the developing economies predicted to endure 80% of all new cases in the first quarter of the 21st century.
Despite these intimidating statistics, research indicates that at least 90% of these new cases could be reduced if there was proper and vigilant treatment and monitoring of the eyes. So, testing for the disease early is of critical importance.
With this in mind, our Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master has launched his appeal to raise £115,000, over the next two years – this being in addition to our regular donations to the Hospital. This sum will be used to purchase two specific pieces of equipment:
A Digital Fundus Fluorescein Angiography System (FFA) at a cost of £50,000
And:
An Optical Coherence Tomography System (OCT), costing £65,000
There are currently over 600 obstacles to movement in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) which prohibit ordinary people travelling to much needed health and ophthalmic services.
It is a sad fact that eye disease is ten times more likely to occur in this region than in developed countries. Eye disease is especially prevalent in children and in this region, 30% of the population is under the age of 10.
The provision of these two systems at the Anabta Clinic will mean that many thousands of local people in the North of the West Bank, where communities are amongst the most impoverished in the OPT, will have the screening, diagnoses and treatment they urgently require for a range of eye diseases, including the scourge of diabetic retinopathy.
65,000 patients per year are treated by the St. John staff and last year alone, 8,860 patients were treated at the Anabta Clinic.
With our help they will not only be able to sustain their operation, but can look towards expanding their range of services, reaching out to many more.
Our Province’s appeal for this worthy cause was launched by our Provincial Prior, Right Eminent Knight Trevor Charles Gulliver, K.C.T., at the beginning of 2010 when he called upon all Knights of the Province to support him in doing their utmost towards achieving the Grand Master’s goal.
Visit this page regularly to see how our Province and Preceptories
are supporting our Grand Master’s Appeal
| St. Michael & St Mary | January | £ 600.00 |
| Loveland | February | £ 250.00 |
| Sepulchre | March | £ 500.00 |
| Province (Sunday Lunch) | March | £ 910.50 |
| Hampshire Tabernacle | March | £ 500.00 |
| Pilgrims (Bar Profits) | March | £ 100.00 |
| First Quarter Total: | £ 2860.00 |