– ‘What’s happened to humanity? Is this how low we’ve become, where we can’t offer the basic necessity, which is health care, treating the sick and injured?’ asks Shafi Ahmed
LONDON
A British doctor who had previously been to the Gaza Strip, has voiced concern over the current state of the enclave’s healthcare system, which was already in a precarious situation before the onset of devastating Israeli attacks.
As the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 20,000, healthcare workers and facilities have been targeted across the strip by the Israeli onslaught.
In early December, Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN special rapporteur on the right to health, defined the Israeli attacks as “a shameful war on healthcare workers.”
Urging an end to Israel’s “unrelenting war” on the healthcare system, she called it the “darkest time for the right to health in our lifetimes.”
Shafi Ahmed, a consultant colorectal cancer surgeon at The Royal London Hospital, decried what he called Israel’s intentional targeting of hospitals and healthcare workers.
“The situation even before the war was pretty difficult for the healthcare system (in Gaza),” Ahmed told Anadolu in an interview following a recent demonstration in London for healthcare workers in Gaza.
Touching on the lack of supplies in hospitals and clinics, he mentioned that even bringing in critical equipment has been a challenge even before Oct. 7, when the Israeli strikes began.
Pointing out that some 260 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapist, dentists have been killed so far in the Israeli attacks, Ahmed said: “That makes it very difficult for a system to survive.”
“On top of that, if you’re bombing the hospitals — and now only one-third of all hospitals in Gaza are functioning — it means the system is in meltdown and broken,” he said.
“Take away two-thirds of the hospitals, how can any system survive?”
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 20,057 Palestinians have since been killed and 53,320 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 stands at 1,200, while over 130 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.
‘Resilience of Palestinians not broken’
On the dire situation at Gaza’s hospitals, Ahmed said many “horror stories” have emerged, including of surgeons operating without light, making do with light from a phone or a candle.
“We’ve seen patients being operated with no anesthetic, with no painkillers after the operation. No antibiotics because they are not available,” he said.
“My question is, what’s happened to humanity? Is this how low we’ve become, where we can’t offer the basic necessity, which is health care, treating the sick and injured, without the necessary resources? I can’t believe it.”
By targeting healthcare workers, Tel Aviv hopes to push Gaza to total system failure, according to the veteran doctor.
“But what’s important is the resilience of the Palestinians isn’t broken,” he asserted, applauding the determination of health care professionals to keep treating patients despite “the most difficult circumstances” that often prove fatal for them.
“So honestly, my hat’s off to them, I can’t imagine what they’re going through, but solidarity with them. I hope we can support them going forward in many more missions.”
