Gaza’s Exhausted Doctors Leave Children To Die

Thousands of people in the Gaza Strip have sustained injuries due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Women and children are severely impacted by the war between Israel forces and Hamas fighters. 

In the European hospital in Khan Younis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, overwhelming medical staff are struggling because of the huge influx of patients arriving from the north of Gaza. They have to decide who among the patients arriving from the north of Gaza should live or die.

The overwhelmed doctors in the European hospital in Khan Younis are forced to leave children to die. They have said, “We are overwhelmed.” The hospital also lacks medicine, food rations and intermittent power. 

Children are suffering in Gaza hospital

Injured people, including children, were seeking shelter and safety in medical facilities. Paul Ley, an orthopedic surgeon at the European hospital, told The Guardian that displaced people were sleeping in lifts. 

The doctors were working round the clock in four operating theaters to amputate limbs infected without treatment. However, there was an acute shortage of painkillers. The doctors had to make the tough decision to leave a 12-year-old child to die with only palliative care in order to preserve hospital resources and painkillers.

Many children who arrived at the hospital were injured days before, meaning wounds had become infected. The patient’s dressings were not changed for 10 days. Children’s wounds were full of worms. The doctors were forced to amputate limbs that may otherwise have been saved.

The problem is a lack of anesthetics and painkillers at the hospital. The doctors said, “We do operations with minimal anesthesia. If we run out, we can’t operate but there is no clear line.”

Gaza hospitals overwhelmed with patients

In recent days, the hospital in southern Gaza received 500 patients evacuated from hospitals in northern Gaza. Many people, including children, did not receive treatment for 10 days because hospitals were non-functional even if they were open because of the overwhelming number of patients. 

Paul Ley, an orthopedic surgeon at the European hospital, said, “This is the situation that is happening here now. This is a functioning hospital but we are being overwhelmed.”

Israel, Hamas agree on deal for release of 50 women and children

Recently, Israel and Hamas agreed on a deal for the release of 50 women and children. Israel and Hamas announced a deal on Wednesday for the release of 50 civilians held hostages in the Gaza Strip. In the first major diplomatic breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas conflict, a four-day truce was also finalized. 

During a four-day truce, Hamas will release 50 Israeli women and children kidnapped during their October 7 offensive against Israelis. Around 150 Palestinians will also be released from Israeli jails.

Hamas gunmen carried out an attack on Israel on 7 October. Israel also launched an offensive against the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.