Doctors in Gaza Strive to Save Lives Amid Dire Conditions

• The Shifa hospital in Gaza reported significant casualties due to the war.
• Dr. Jamal Salha is trying to save patients in conditions of extreme resource shortages.
• The situation in the hospital is deteriorating due to hunger and bombings.

At Shifa hospital in Gaza, where there is no electricity at night, doctors like Dr. Jamal Salha have instruments in limited supply. Infections are spreading, and medical waste is filling the space. Patients are suffering from the absence of available beds and lie on metal benches in corridors without electricity and ventilation, in conditions of unbearable heat.

Shifa, once the largest hospital in Gaza, has become overwhelmed after 22 months of war. The hospital complex, the size of seven football fields, has seen parts bombed and blocked, which impeded access to food, medications, and equipment. The overwhelmed staff works tirelessly, striving to save lives.

Dr. Salha, a 27-year-old neurosurgeon, notes: "These conditions are terrible, which is hard to imagine." He and his colleagues are overwhelmed with patients who are suffering from starvation.

The hospital, established in 1946 as a military post, had over 21 operational rooms but now only three are functioning. Previously, there were 700 beds in the hospital, now there are about 200, and many patients are forced to lie on mattresses on the floor.

Since the start of the war on July 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, Salha evacuated the hospital but later returned. During his absence, Israeli forces conducted raids in the hospital, asserting that Shifa is a command center for Hamas. However, the evidence provided was disputed.

In early 2024, Israeli forces returned to Shifa, which led to the destruction of three hospital buildings and equipment, including 14 incubators for newborns. The hospital is unable to secure its staff's safety, and many of them have remained unpaid.

The hospital is experiencing a shortage of essential materials, such as gauze and medical supplies, and patients are forced to wait for hours or even days. Doctors are forced to perform surgeries under extreme pressure, often in conditions that jeopardize patients' lives.

Salha recalls the unforgettable moments when the hospital could not accept patients due to the absence of local resources. Stories of success are also being reported, but overall the situation is increasingly dire.

Tags: Middle East