A medical team sent to Gaza by Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) more than two weeks ago has completed its mission successfully, according to a statement.
The team conducted a number of major surgical operations at Gaza hospitals and made a field assessment of the status of local hospitals to come up with recommendations for future QRC projects that can improve healthcare services provided for the public there.
The Gaza entry and exit procedures and visit agenda were co-ordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The medical delegation comprised three senior doctors - Dr Nebal Mohamed Shaath (Palestine), senior consultant, orthopaedic surgeon, Al Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC); Dr Iyad Abo Tayr (Palestine), vascular surgery, who joined the team from Germany; and Dr Mattia Fiorentini (Italy), anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist.
Saleh bin Ali al-Mohannadi, secretary-general, QRC, commended the response from HMC when it was approached by QRC to allow Dr Shaath to travel with the medical mission to Gaza for two weeks.
“We appreciate the ICRC’s co-operation to facilitate the mission and thank the three doctors for volunteering to go to Gaza to treat the patients,” al-Mohannadi said.
Dr Akram Nassar, head of the QRC Office in Gaza, said: “The visit was successful. Gaza hospitals provided us, as much as they could, with the medical needs of the surgical team despite the lack of medical supplies during the war. The biggest challenge was the large number of injuries requiring surgery, particularly those in need of temporary and permanent fixing of bone fractures.”
Dr Shaath said: “This was my first mission to Gaza under QRC. It was totally successful.”
During the short visit, the team performed 15 surgical operations and a large number of consultations. A small clinic adjacent to the operations room was set up so that the doctors could provide consultation in between the surgeries.
All the operations took place at the European Hospital of Gaza, except for one surgery that was done at the Palestinian Red Crescent’s Al Quds Hospital for special considerations.
One of the touching moments, Dr Shaath recalled, was when he found two parents carrying their daughter, who had a fractured elbow, and begging him to treat her. He performed the necessary surgery for her.
Dr Fiorentini noted: “Since day one, I joined the anesthesiologist and intensive care team at the European Hospital of Gaza, southern Gaza, and took part in several surgical operations for injured people, particularly children.”
