An Ongoing Legacy - The #PPE4Gaza Campaign

Article Written By: Ibrahim Mohammad Researcher, Glia Medical Student, University of Ottawa

Do you remember the #PPE4Gaza campaign?

I was a second year medical student at the time, working with Glia as a Research Assistant. While I was helping on the 3D-printed stethoscope project, a brilliant collaboration between Islamic Relief Canada and Glia allowed us to raise over $110,000 to provide crucial access to basic Personal Protective Equipment to healthcare workers on the ground in Gaza. Islamic Relief graciously then added another $100,000 of their own funds to support the project! It made me really proud to be part of this organization and to see collaboration for the greater benefit of the global community in action. We were able to deliver nearly 20,000 face shields to Gazans on the ground.

Do you ever think about what’s happened since then, about the legacy of this initiative?

I asked myself the same question, and I want to share with you all some of what’s happened since then! We ended up being a little underbudget, and we used the leftover funds to purchase and ship 10 Prusa printers to Glia Gaza. This was no easy feat, and it took months of effort in collaboration with Medical Aid for Palestine UK to get the printers on the ground. These printers by Prusa are some of the best out-of-the-box desktop 3D printers one can purchase and have been a valuable tool for Glia Gaza. We even helped fund and install solar panels to make sure that these printers can run even if electricity is cut out. Although this cost nearly $35,000, this project has allowed for ongoing sustainable printing in Gaza. This is something we could’ve only dreamed of achieving, and the #PPE4Gaza campaign helped make it a reality.

Thanks to the #PPE4Gaza donors!

Glia Gaza now has access to 20 3D printers, 10 of which are fantastic Prusa printers, which have been producing stethoscopes, tourniquets, face shields, otoscopes, and hopefully by 2024, will also be used to produce the pulse oximeter we are currently designing! These vital pieces of medical equipment have been immensely helpful to health care workers in Gaza, and what’s even better is that their production is sustainable. The printers completely run on the solar panels with no need for any other energy supply, meaning that we don’t have to worry about blackouts interfering with medical care. We cannot express enough gratitude to all of the donors, to Medical Aid for Palestine UK, and especially to Islamic Relief Canada for all of their help in bringing this project to life and leaving a long-lasting legacy in Gaza.