We Volunteered at a Gaza Hospital. What We Saw Was Unspeakable.

🌈 Abstract

The article describes the experiences of two American surgeons, Mark Perlmutter and Feroze Sidhwa, who volunteered to provide medical care in the Gaza Strip during the 2022 conflict between Israel and Palestine. It details the horrific conditions they encountered at the Gaza European Hospital, including overcrowding, lack of resources, and the devastating injuries suffered by children. The article highlights the challenges faced by Palestinian healthcare workers and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Experiences in Gaza

1. What were the key challenges and conditions the surgeons encountered at the Gaza European Hospital?

• Severe overcrowding, with 1,500 people admitted to a 220-bed hospital
• Patients housed in every available space, including radiology, common areas, and even operating rooms
• Overwhelming number of badly injured children and amputees
• Constant threat of Israeli airstrikes and invasion of the hospital
• Lack of medical resources and equipment, with hospitals operating at over 350% capacity
• Traumatized and overworked Palestinian healthcare staff, many of whom had lost family members and homes

2. What were some of the specific cases the surgeons described?

• Juri, a 9-year-old girl with horrific injuries from an explosion, including missing part of her femur and exposed pelvic bones
• Israa, a 26-year-old woman with severe leg injuries and burns after her home was bombed
• Rafif and Rafiq, two siblings who arrived with shrapnel wounds and severe malnutrition after their mother was killed in an airstrike

3. How did the surgeons feel about leaving Gaza?

• They felt deeply guilty and complicit in the ongoing suffering, as they knew they were leaving patients like Israa to continue suffering alone
• They wondered about the fate of children like Ahmed, who had never known life outside the besieged Gaza Strip

[02] Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

1. What is the current state of the healthcare system in Gaza?

• 59% of hospital beds in Gaza had been destroyed by the time the surgeons arrived
• The remaining hospitals were operating at over 350% capacity, described as "partially operational"
• There were only 1,400 acute care hospital beds for a population of 2.2 million people, a severe shortage

2. What are the broader humanitarian challenges facing the people of Gaza?

• Widespread malnutrition and food insecurity
• Lack of access to clean water and sanitation, leading to open sewage
• Constant threat of airstrikes, bombings, and military incursions
• High unemployment and economic devastation due to the ongoing conflict and blockade

3. How do the authors view the role of the United States in the conflict?

• They believe that if the U.S. were to cut off military aid to Israel, the bombing and military action would stop
• They call on Americans to decide whether they are "for or against murdering children, doctors and emergency medical personnel" and "for or against peace"