Bethlehem Psychiatric Hospital, or Dr. Muhammad Saeed Kamal Psychiatric Hospital, (Arabic: مستشفى بيت لحم للطب النفسي) is a Palestinian medical institution located in the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank.[1][2] It is the only hospital of its kind specializing in psychiatric treatment in the West Bank and has operated for over 100 years.[3]
History
The hospitals main building was constructed in 1898 and had an area of 2 dunams, initially used as a charitable orphnage for Armenian children. The building was repurposed in 1922 by British Mandate authorities and converted into a hospital for mentally ill men. It was converted to a psychiatric hospital for men and women in 1957 by the Jordanian authorities.[1] In 1992, it was named after the physician Dr. Muhammad Saeed Kamal in recognition of his efforts and administration of the hospital between 1959 and 1992.[4][5][1] In 2004, the hospital was damaged during a raid by the IDF.[6][7][8] The facility had 75 staff and 250 patients in 2004, at the time, there were a total of 9 psychiatrists and 15 clinical psychologists in the west bank, which had a population of 2.7 million.[8]
Between 2016 and 2019, the hospital was renovated as part of a European Union funded project in collaboration with the WHO.[9] In 2025, it had been announced that the mens ward, which had been unused for years by then, had been renovated and reopened with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency.[10]
Services
Its clinical capacity is approximately 140 beds. As of 2020, 150-170 patients resided in the hospital.[11] The hospital complex includes 4 buildings dedicated to the patients, and occupies an area of 60 dunams.[12][11]
Comprehensive treatment services include:
Pharmacological treatment, psychotherapy, occupational rehabilitation therapy, community mental health services, outpatient clinics, electroencephalography (EEG), and forensic medicine.
Bethlehem Psychiatric HospitalEducational and Training Services.
The hospital is recognized as a teaching hospital by both the Jordanian and Palestinian Medical Councils.
It offers programs for the qualification and training of psychiatry resident physicians, interns, medical students (especially from Al-Quds University), nursing college students, and students of humanities such as social work.[13][14][15]
