Jakarta, Kowantaranews.com -Dr. Junaid Sultan, a vascular surgeon based in Hull, recently recounted his heart-wrenching experience while volunteering at the European Hospital in Rafah, Gaza. Having spent just under three weeks in April treating hundreds of civilian patients, Dr. Sultan plans to return before Christmas to continue his work amidst unimaginable suffering and devastation.
During his time in Gaza, Dr. Sultan was confronted with the harsh realities of a war zone, treating women and children with severe injuries such as bullet wounds, burns, and other trauma. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which erupted on 7 October following a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen, has led to significant casualties on both sides. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, the subsequent Israeli military offensive has resulted in over 37,765 deaths.
Dr. Sultan described his experiences in Gaza as a scene from Armageddon, where the suffering was palpable. “What I saw was just hunger, starvation, famine, suffering,” he said. “Gaza has been made like a living hell for Gazans, and essentially they are living worse than animals.” He struggled to process the extent of human suffering and the dire conditions the people of Gaza were enduring.
Accompanied by 14 other surgeons from the UK and the United States, Dr. Sultan’s team worked under the aegis of FAJR Scientific, a US non-profit organization, in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Their mission was to provide medical treatment and deliver essential supplies to the besieged region. Despite the looming threat of famine as warned by UN and aid agencies, Dr. Sultan witnessed firsthand the severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and basic amenities like clean water and electricity.
Dr. Sultan was driven to volunteer in Gaza after hearing a poignant appeal from a colleague in Scarborough. His colleague’s father, a civilian from Gaza, was shot in the head and died due to a lack of urgent medical treatment. This personal connection and the desire to help those in desperate need motivated Dr. Sultan to face the challenges of working in a war zone.
Upon arriving in Gaza, the reality of the situation hit him hard. “The realisation that I’m actually in a war zone – it actually hit me when I was there,” he said. “There was a curfew after five o’clock. There was no electricity, there was no water supply through the taps, and after five o’clock you are in pitch black. Drones are 24/7 over your head.” Constant surveillance, bombings, and the relentless sound of gunshots were a daily reality.
One of the most distressing cases Dr. Sultan encountered involved a 12-year-old boy who arrived at the hospital with severe injuries, alongside the lifeless body of his mother. The boy’s legs were mangled beyond repair, and he was in excruciating pain with no painkillers available. The emotional toll of informing the boy about his mother’s death and the need for multiple amputations was overwhelming. “He said to me, ‘I wish you would have killed me. Why did you save me?'” Dr. Sultan recalled. The child’s anguish left a lasting impression on the surgeon, who spent over an hour comforting him despite feeling utterly broken inside.
Read more : Escalating Tensions: Israel and Hezbollah Edge Closer to Conflict Amid Rocket Fire and Threats
Read more : Netanyahu Announces Imminent Conclusion of Gaza Conflict’s Intense Phase
Read more : UN Warns of ‘Catastrophic’ Threat to Region if Israel-Hezbollah Fighting Escalates
Dr. Sultan’s daily routine involved treating about 50 severely injured civilians in the hospital’s A&E unit. The hospital, which had been converted into a makeshift refugee camp housing around 30,000 people, was struggling to maintain cleanliness and adhere to medical protocols. The European Hospital was one of the last fully functional hospitals in Gaza, with a capacity of only 250 beds, yet it was forced to accommodate up to 3,000 patients daily.
The shortage of medical supplies was exacerbated by the overwhelming number of patients. Dr. Sultan noted that more than 500 healthcare workers had been killed in the past nine months, leaving the remaining medics overworked and fatigued. “Patients are emaciated. The doctors have been reduced to bones,” he said. The dire sanitation conditions, with sewage leaks attracting insects and diseases, further complicated the situation.
Dr. Sultan emphasized the urgent need for new hospitals, medical supplies, food, and clean water. He hopes to raise awareness about the grim realities on the ground in Gaza. Despite the psychological toll of his experiences, he remains committed to returning and providing assistance. “There are things which I’ve seen, and I don’t think I will ever be able to unsee them – the bodies of the children which I was carrying every day,” he said. Nonetheless, his time in Gaza has been life-changing, instilling in him a profound sense of gratitude and a determination to help those in need.
In the coming months, Dr. Sultan plans to return to Gaza, driven by the hope of making a difference in the lives of the local community. His story is a powerful reminder of the human capacity for compassion and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.*Mukroni
Source bbc.com
Photo Kowantaranews
- Berita Terkait :
Escalating Tensions: Israel and Hezbollah Edge Closer to Conflict Amid Rocket Fire and Threats
Netanyahu Announces Imminent Conclusion of Gaza Conflict’s Intense Phase
Gaza’s Overlooked Hostages: Thousands Held Without Charge in Israeli Detention
Chilean Art Exhibition Celebrates Palestinian Solidarity
Houthi Rebels Sink Bulk Carrier in Red Sea Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict
Tragedi Kemanusiaan di Gaza: Serangan Israel Menewaskan Sedikitnya 42 Orang
Kuba Ikut Dalam Gugatan Internasional Afrika Selatan di ICJ Mengenai Tindakan Israel di Gaza
Mengapa Gaza Adalah Zona Perang Terburuk: Perspektif Ahli Bedah Trauma David Nott
Armenia Resmi Akui Palestina sebagai Negara di Tengah Konflik Gaza-Israel
Qatar Lakukan Negosiasi Intensif untuk Gencatan Senjata Israel-Hamas
Day 256: Gaza Under Siege – Israel’s Airstrikes Claim Dozens of Lives
Pengunduran Diri Pejabat AS Stacy Gilbert: Protes terhadap Kebijakan Bantuan Kemanusiaan di Gaza
Idul Adha di Tengah Konflik: Ketika Kegembiraan Berganti Kesedihan di Gaza
Tragedi di Rafah: Delapan Tentara Israel Tewas dalam Pertempuran Terbaru di Jalur Gaza
AS menjatuhkan sanksi pada ‘kelompok ekstremis Israel’ karena memblokir bantuan Gaza
Langkah Israel: ‘Jeda Taktis’ untuk Meringankan Krisis Kemanusiaan di Gaza
Pembicaraan Gencatan Senjata Gaza oleh Qatar dan Mesir: Langkah Baru Menuju Perdamaian
Akhir yang Mendekat bagi Pemerintahan Netanyahu yang Terpecah
Krisis Kemanusiaan di Gaza: Keputusasaan di Tengah Pertempuran
Ketegangan AS-Israel: Perdebatan atas Berbagi Informasi Intelijen
Tekanan Boikot Israel terhadap Merek-merek Amerika di Timur Tengah
$7.000 untuk Keluar dari Gaza: Eksploitasi Warga Palestina yang Melarikan Diri ke Mesir
Krisis Kemanusiaan di Gaza Meningkat, Yordania Gelar Pertemuan Darurat Internasional
Transformasi Ekonomi Global: Dampak Penghentian Perjanjian Petro Dollar oleh Arab Saudi
Rencana Gencatan Senjata Gaza Terhambat oleh Perubahan Usulan dari Hamas, Klaim AS
HRW: Penggunaan Kelaparan oleh Israel sebagai Senjata Perang di Gaza Merupakan ‘Kejahatan Perang’
PBB Temukan Bukti Kejahatan Kemanusiaan oleh Israel di Gaza
Resolusi DK PBB Dukung Gencatan Senjata Gaza: Langkah Menuju Perdamaian yang Tantangannya Besar”
Pertemuan Tegang di Kairo: Morsi Dituduh Mengimplikasikan Yahudi Mengendalikan Media AS
Gideon Levy: Pendudukan Israel Tidak Akan Berakhir Sampai Mereka Membayar Akibatnya
Ribuan Orang Berkumpul di Luar Gedung Putih untuk Memprotes Perang di Gaza
Benny Gantz Mengundurkan Diri dari Kabinet Perang: Pukulan Telak bagi Netanyahu
Kebencian terhadap Netanyahu Meningkat di Tengah Isolasi Internasional Israel
Dewan Menteri D-8 Serukan Gencatan Senjata “Segera, Permanen, Tanpa Syarat” di Gaza
Israel Menyerang Sekolah di Gaza yang Menampung Pengungsi Palestina, Menewaskan Sedikitnya 40 Orang
Bagaimana “Le Monde” Meliput Konflik Israel-Palestina Sejak 1945
Spanyol Ikut Campur dalam Kasus Genosida Afrika Selatan Terhadap Israel di ICJ
Bernie Sanders: Menghormati Netanyahu dengan Pidato Kongres adalah Kesalahan Besar
Gideon Levy Mengkritik Media Israel yang Tidak Memperlihatkan Penderitaan di Gaza
Kontroversi di Parlemen Prancis: Bendera Palestina di Tengah Isu Politik Sensitif
Lapid Kecam Smotrich dan Ben Gvir atas Ancaman Gulingkan Koalisi Terkait Gencatan Senjata Sandera
Macklemore: Melawan Apartheid demi Kemerdekaan Palestina di Tengah Konflik Gaza
Mesir Bergabung dalam Kasus Genosida terhadap Israel di Pengadilan Tinggi PBB
Türkiye Bergabung dalam Kasus Genosida Afrika Selatan terhadap Israel di ICJ