Under Israeli attack in Gaza, doctors paint a bleak picture of life without medicine and hope.
According to UN News, Dr. Haidar Al-Qudra, hospital manager, stated that living here is extremely challenging.
As of now, the World Health Organization reports that only 12 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are able to function to some extent. The remaining hospitals have been destroyed by Israel’s frequent bombings in the area.
As the war in Gaza enters its fifth month, Israeli forces continue to raid healthcare facilities, with Al Amal Hospital among the latest to endure a weeks-long deadly siege. Israel claims Hamas is operating in hospitals, but Palestinian authorities and medical professionals have refuted those allegations.
According to the UN Humanitarian Country Team in Palestine’s report, 25 people were killed and the health facility was rendered incapacitated after Al Amal Hospital was struck by 40 direct hits.
According to UN agencies and news reports, buildings are still being targeted by Israeli snipers, experiencing communication disruptions, and health workers are being detained. These issues are compounded by severe shortages of necessities and limitations on crucial supplies entering the area.
“We’re currently surrounded.”
Since January, over 8,000 individuals who were displaced have been removed from Al Amal during the siege. Numerous people sought refuge in the complex to escape Israeli assaults in the surrounding region.
Health workers were in fear for their lives due to nearby conflict and frequent bombings. As a result, they were unable to leave the hospital buildings for over a month, according to Dr. Al-Qudra.
He stated that we are currently surrounded, preventing patients from being able to reach the hospital as they are not permitted to walk on the streets close to the hospital. Our ambulances are also unable to leave the premises.
Dr. Haidar Al-Qudra, manager of Al Amal Hospital.
Many patients either did not survive or are currently experiencing pain and discomfort.
Several surgical procedures had been delayed, he cautioned, pointing out that it had been nearly five months since operations such as mastectomies and thyroidectomies had been performed.
Dr. Al-Qudra stated that due to not being carried out in any hospital, the usual procedures resulted in either death or worsening conditions for the majority of patients.
Due to severe destruction, the management is making efforts to relocate patients in order to receive necessary treatment. Following the collapse of the ceiling on the third floor, approximately 35 patients will be redirected to hospitals in the vicinity.
However, the other hospitals in Gaza are facing severe overcrowding. In Rafah, the UNFPA reported that 20 incubators were being shared among 77 newborns.
At the Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah, 77 infants are currently accommodated in 20 incubators.
The initial sighting of the sun
During the siege, Dr. Waheed Qudih, a surgical consultant at Al Amal Hospital, was one of the medical staff who were stuck inside.
“This is the first time we see the sun,” he said, referring to the arrival of a joint UN mission to the battered premises this week. “We have not been allowed to leave the hospital door since 21 January.”
He, along with others, chose to remain on site in order to aid injured patients.
He shared that they conduct numerous medical procedures for wounded individuals, including general surgery and orthopedics. He added that they have successfully treated many patients, despite facing challenges due to limited resources.
Dr. Waheed Qudih, a surgeon who consults at Al Amal Hospital.
UN relief mission combining efforts from multiple organizations.
After receiving information about the medical center being under siege, the United Nations sent a combined team consisting of the World Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.
The purpose of the mission was to meet with healthcare workers at the besieged hospital and assess the well-being of the patients and their companions. The objective was to evacuate 24 patients and provide essential resources such as food, water, and fuel. Additionally, the mission aimed to deliver emergency surgical supplies and antibiotics to treat approximately 50 infections.
The OCHA spokesperson stated on Tuesday that the mission was forced to abandon 31 non-critical patients, as the Israeli military did not provide any explanation or communication as to why the mission’s ambulances were held for seven hours or why the paramedics were forced to undress.
There are still individuals requiring medical attention in this location.
According to Dr. Athanasios Gargavannis, who works as a trauma surgeon and is part of the emergency team at the WHO, the amount of destruction he has seen is “unimaginable”.
“There are still patients remaining,” he stated. “Our primary objective is to recognize and direct a certain amount of them so they may maintain receiving treatment.”
Due to ongoing delays at the Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel, there have been reports of Israeli protestors obstructing the delivery of aid to Gaza. As a result, certain countries have been forced to utilize emergency aid drops this week.
However, this only accounts for a small fraction of the resources and assistance required by Al Amal and other healthcare facilities in Gaza.
WHO and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society are jointly leading efforts to transport critically ill patients from hospitals in Gaza that are under siege.
This individual disregards all laws pertaining to human rights and welfare.
According to Dr. Al-Qudra at Al Amal Hospital, the hospital used to have 100 beds prior to the war. Its primary focus was on maternal and child health and it was also equipped to handle basic surgical and internal medicine needs, along with offering specialized rehabilitation services.
The third floor was heavily bombed, resulting in the capacity dropping to approximately 60 beds. There is a shortage of supplies and communication blackouts persist.
According to reports from media sources, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that Israeli forces have been holding seven of their members for almost three weeks. The detained individuals, including a doctor, anesthesia technician, and ambulance staff, were captured during Israel’s attack on Al Amal Hospital.
Dr. Al-Qudra emphasized that currently in Gaza, there is a disregard for medical staff’s rights and humanitarian laws.
Workers from the United Nations are assisting in the transportation of patients from Nasser Hospital located in Gaza.
Source: news.un.org
