To whom it may concern
As the conflict started we at PalMed arranged a group of
delegates to travel to Gaza, we sent the names and information to the Egyptian
authorities and travelled there. The group consisted of three members of PalMed
and another doctor: Mads Gilbert, all are EU citizens.
After we landed in
Cairo on Friday 11th of July we went to the Rafah Crossing (Egypt border
with Gaza) in the early hours of the following morning (4am). We were stopped
at Balodha (180km from Rafah) and
prevented from going any further. We all returned to Cairo, Dr Gilbert arranged
through the Norwegian embassy and flew to Jordan, then Israel where he was
allowed through. after further liaison with the Egyptian authorities we went
back to the crossing on Sunday 13th and again we were stopped at
Balodha, few hours of later we were allowed to proceed and were blocked from
entering at Rafah crossing till the evening of the same day.
It is beyond words to describe the devastation and destruction
we have seen as we entered Gaza, but I will focus only on describing the
medical situation that needs urgent attention.
Prior to the conflict Gaza has stopped all elective
surgeries due to sever shortages in supplies, 150 essential –including many
anaesthetic- drugs were out of stock. Now this list has grown and as well as
drugs, many essential supplies, and more importantly, medical specialities are
not available in Gaza hospitals to treat the injured.
Almost 90% of severe trauma causalities brought to Gaza
hospitals are dying due to these sever shortages.
At Al Shifa Hospital, the staff have been working day and
night trying to treat these sever and complex injuries presented to the
hospital. I have witnessed two or three surgeries taking place in the same
theatre, many operations are carried out in the corridors, many children and
others are dying because of lack of capacity, lack of specialities and lack of
supplies.
The director of Shifa hospital (Dr Al Tahir) went to his
home in the morning to find it a pile of rubbles, few hours later he was back
at the hospital doing his job!
We have visited a few sites and have seen ambulances burnt
and damaged on the side of the roads, we have seen clinics destroyed by the
shelling, but the most shocking and heart breaking scene was the disability
centre that was bombed by Israeli forces. Many patients with cerebral palsy and
other complex neurological diseases have lost their lives because of the direct
hit the centre received; many more will suffer a slow death as no other centre can
provide the same care in Gaza!
We arranged another European group to travel to Gaza, they
were in Egypt on the 18th of July. After spending days attempting to
cross, and despite prior liaison, only two out of 10 were allowed to go
through. The two they allowed have dual nationalities: a Palestinian and
European citizenship and the Egyptian authorities are now saying they will only
allow Palestinians to cross and not any other nationality!
The third delegates are being held at the crossing today.
They are all have Palestinian (plus another) citizenship. Egypt is claiming
that the Gazan authority is not granting permission which is not true as direct
contacts states otherwise.
Words struggle to describe the suffering we have witnessed
in Gaza, we hope that our European government can have a meaningful
intervention to stop the massacre, but for now we need urgent pressure to allow
medical staff and aid to enter Gaza.
Regards
Abdeen Shams
General Coordinator PalMed Europe
a letter to MPs, MEPs about allowing medical aid to Gaza
Dear All,
Today (2.08)the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the death toll have risen to 1766 and 9320 injured.
Many humanitarian organizations have been trying to enter Gaza to help in relief operations mainly in medical aid, however, they have been blocked by both Israel and Egypt.
Gaza has been suffering sever shortages of medical supplies prior to the conflict. In June all elective surgeries were cancelled due to shortages in medications and equipments, many basic and necessary drugs are out of stock. Staff as well as suffering themselves from bombing and shelling, are working flat out and not getting any rest due to the high number of causalities and the complexities of cases.
Despite any political interpretation of the conflict, medical aid should be allowed to enter Gaza.
We need help in applying pressure on Egypt and Israel to allow medical aid and medical delegates to cross into Gaza.
We are healthcare professionals who made an auth to protect and care for the lives of fellow humans; I hope that you can help in fulfilling that.
Regards
Ahmad Baker
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