The Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem in a time of war

Retired Pastor, Rev. Karen Johnson-Lefsrud in Victoria is a board member of the Augusta Victoria Hospital located near the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. 

This hospital is owned and operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and does outstanding work in providing cancer care and dialysis primarily to Palestinian patients including patients from the West Bank and Gaza.  The hospital is situated on a historic 40-acre site on the Mt. of Olives and the LWF also established a satellite hospital site in Gaza. 

 As AVH is one of the main cancer treatment centres for Palestinians the current conflict means that many people are unable to travel to the hospital to continue their treatment – and for those who are working in the satellite site in Gaza, their safety is very precarious.  In spite of this the hospital continues to organize transportation, often traveling through areas where again their personal safety is at risk.

You can read more about the current situation facing the Hospital and its staff in her post at the link below which was originally published in the newsletter of the Church of the Cross. 

You can also support the Hospital's vital work at this link - https://avh.org/support-us