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Gaza City – For more than ten days, Palestinian doctors at the main Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip have been working day and night to save the Israeli army’s relentless bombing of the besieged area.
Since Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip on May 10, at least 230 people have been killed, including 65 children.
This week’s killing Two senior doctors – Ayman Abu al-Ouf, head of internal medicine at Shifa Hospital, and Mooein Ahmad al-Aloul, a psychiatric neurologist, – a further psychological blow to medical staff who are already working under great pressure, and a serious shortage of medical resources due to various reasons War and 14-year lockdown.
Al Jazeera explained to al-Shifa’s doctors the physical and emotional implications of working in a heated conflict. For the sake of brevity and clarity, their interview is edited below.
Sarah El-Saqqa, 33 years old, general surgery
“In the current upgrade, I work under pressure for about 13 hours a day-I go to the hospital at 7:30 in the evening and leave the hospital at 8 or 8:30 the next morning.
“It is stressful and exhausting… In all the bombings, being with family is worrying. I am worried that one of my family members will become one of the people we receive in the hospital.
“This is a very difficult situation that only we can see in war. We don’t know what kind of weapon is being used, but the goal is to kill, not to intimidate or cause harm. Most of the cases received in the hospital are dead or Seriously injured person.
“The death of Dr. Ayman Abu al-Auf is one of the hardest things to hear. He taught me at the university, and then I became a colleague in the internal medicine department of the hospital he led.
“What happened in the Gaza Strip was war crimes and genocide. International human rights organizations must intervene to stop this war and not allow it to happen again.”
Hani al-Shanti, 42 years old, vascular expert consultant
Hani al-Shanti [Ashraf Amra/Al Jazeera]
“In this war, the number of people killed is higher than the number of people seriously injured. In the 2014 war, the Shati camp was attacked and caused many casualties. We had to stay in the operating room for a few days to save lives. I’m not a military expert, but this time, the main goal seems to be killing. That’s why we need fewer surgical operations to save lives.
“In the hospital, we feel safe, but I have high anxiety about my wife, children and family members. At home, this feeling is even stronger because the explosion occurred in the environment near you. I am in an emergency at home and in the hospital.
“The sound of the bombing in this war is frightening; the sound itself has caused the damage, and the sound of the missile, not the direct damage, caused a heart attack and death.
“We lack sleep in the hospital or at home. This can lead to chronic insomnia and depression. In addition, the war has begun to affect the spread of COVID-19, and in addition to water, electricity and waste services, the health sector is on the brink of collapse.
“The hardship between my colleague Ayman Abu al-Auf and his family was devastating. Only his son survived the disaster, but is still in intensive care. He knows nothing about their deaths and asks every day. His father and family – we have been telling him that they are in the surgical ward.
“The world has oppressed the Gaza Strip. We will continue to be in crisis and war for several reasons: Israelis have broken their promises, and international donors have not kept their promises to rebuild or lift the siege.
“I hope Gaza can live in peace. I hope I can live in an independent country and live with dignity.”
48-year-old Amid Awad, specialist in vascular surgery
Amid Awwad [Ashraf Amra/Al Jazeer]
“The doctor is here 24/7. We start by checking the wounded to check if there are any complications or if medical intervention or surgery is needed to start the day.
“In this war, the need for vascular surgery is not like during the war. Return parade Israeli snipers shot and wounded Palestinians, especially those under the age of 18, and incapacitated them. This time, most of the people who were taken to the hospital have died.
“There has been an unprecedented explosion. This has affected the psychological state of our children. Our children have never seen a beautiful day in 15 years.
“I think about my family all day at home, but when I go to the hospital, I forget my anxiety because God protects them.
“There is a shortage of medical materials and equipment. We have expertise that our neighboring countries cannot provide. When the medical delegation came here, they were surprised by what we did in this field.
“An international stand is needed. We are an unguarded people. Our media and arsenal are very weak, unlike the people of Israel. I have another nationality. I am Russian. I vote for President Putin. I want to ask him to support him. We Russian citizens, to stop this escalation and massacre. My wife is also Russian. She has witnessed the three wars launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip and can deal with the current situation better than me.
“I am worried that the weapons and bombs that Israel is using will destroy future generations of Palestinians. We do not have a laboratory to examine them, but in the next few years, this problem will become obvious. There are many cancers, and this is them. The results used in previous wars.”
Muhammad Ibrahim al-Ron, 40 years old, consultant surgeon, director of general surgery
Mohamed Ibrahim Ron [Ashraf Amra/Al Jazeera]
“In this war, it’s very difficult. The family needs you, the hospital needs you, but you can’t be in two places at the same time. In the hospital, work is divided into three groups, each of which works 24 hours and rests 24 hours. But We also come in during break time.
The enemy concentrated on killing innocent civilians. Most of the cases caused by house explosions are children and women. These are military methods. Perhaps the enemy is trying to defeat people psychologically, killing the fear among sows and destabilizing them. This is the reality I see.
“The overall morale in the Gaza Strip is high to cope with [the events in] Jerusalem. But there are also concerns that because they are bombing civilians, the movement of people and their displacement are different from before.
The war started in the heart of Gaza, the economy, companies, the press, towers, civilians and others.
“Due to the lockdown, the health sector is suffering. The whole period has been good and bad, but it has deteriorated during the coronavirus crisis. We have no equipment. We use original equipment and we need a lot of medical equipment, training and maintenance of diagnostic and treatment equipment.
“The 15 years of blockade is equivalent to 150 years of medical advancements that have taken place outside the Gaza Strip. What is needed now is a just solution to the Palestinian issue so that we can live like everyone else.”
Abdul Hadi Mohammad Abu Shahla, 37 years old, PhD in Vascular Surgery
Abdul Hadi Mohamed Abu Shahra [Ashraf Amra/Al Jazeera]
“Since the beginning of this war, we went to the hospital to work for 24 hours at 7 in the morning, and then took a day off. We received cases that required medical intervention, specializing in vascular surgery. But we also assisted other specialties, such as general surgery and Thoracic surgery.
“We deal with cases across the Gaza Strip. One of the most difficult situations is when an 11-year-old child came to us with shrapnel left in our aorta and hepatic artery [supplying the liver]. We used a synthetic arterial patch to repair the artery and the operation was successful. But the child died of head and chest injuries two days later.
“The night I stayed at home with my family reassured me, and the night I worked in the hospital… It is difficult to strike a balance between treating the injured and considering family members and conducting examinations.
“But we are still full of vitality. Despite the shortage of medical supplies, it is the most serious in times of war and crisis, and our team is still ready to continue working.
“I hope the war will stop, because most of the cases are martyrs.”
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