Sidra Medicine’s Gaza patient programme provides critical care for injured Palestinians

Next month, WISH 2024 – an international gathering hosted by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) World Innovation Summit for Health – will bring together experts from across the world in Doha to discuss vital healthcare issues under the overarching theme of ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity and Resilience’.It is a theme that is as relevant and urgent as it has ever been, given the ongoing situation in Palestine and the urgent need of its people for critical medical care. Sidra Medicine, a member of QF, is one of the seven hospitals in Qatar selected to provide medical care for injured Palestinian children, playing a pivotal role in triaging the injuries of these patients before their arrival and directing them to hospitals with appropriate treatment expertise.In early December 2023, Qatar offered treatment to 1,500 injured people as well as the sponsorship of 3,000 orphans from the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. And on April 27, one-year-old Palestinian child Sanad arrived in Qatar and was admitted to Sidra Medicine for urgent medical care. He had sustained severe injuries that tore parts of his small body after his home in Gaza was bombed on 14 April 2024.Sidra Medicine has a dedicated unit for treating Gaza's wounded, featuring 22 beds, each of which carries a story of suffering told by wounds and scars of war, just like Sanad’s story.Dr Ahmad al-Hammadi, acting chief medical officer at Sidra Medicine, is the national paediatric lead for the Gaza patient care programme to enable the standardisation of care for all the children coming in from Gaza."The early cohort of patients we received at Sidra Medicine where children who had multiple injuries as a result of the bombings” says Dr al-Hammadi. "These cases typically involved multiple fractures, open wounds, burns and embedded shrapnel. We treated children who had injuries on their heads, faces, limbs and with abdominal injuries. They all required specialised or complex surgical interventions including amputations, plastic surgery and grafting.”Elaborating on Sanad’s condition, Dr al-Hammadi said: "Sanad arrived with a complex medical history and underwent several surgical operations, including amputations, facial injury repairs, and intricate procedures to treat deep wounds. Each operation was a step towards saving his life.Sanad is currently residing in Doha with his grandmother.Sidra Medicine plays a vital role in providing this support through specialized care tailored to meet the unique needs of these patients. The hospital has seen over 230 paediatric patients from Gaza, across many of its core services including mental health, orthopedics, surgery, craniofacial and plastics, and the heart centre.In addition to providing basic support services, Dr. Al-Hammadi explains that many children require auxiliary health services such as occupational therapy, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and nutrition, along with other medical specialties like general paediatrics, neurology, and pain management.