"I'd been operating all day. During the night between cases, there was a loud shrieking missile noise and then an explosion. We discovered the Israelis had targeted the hospital with a missile." Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, recalls the day of the deadly explosion at Al Ahli hospital which Israel and Hamas have blamed on each other.
Abu-Sittah, an experienced surgeon from the UK with a reputation as one of the world's leading specialists in craniofacial surgery, has been volunteering at Gaza's hospitals to help treat some of the wounded. He was at the facility helping other surgeons perform operations on the many wounded.
"The hospital, like all other hospitals in Gaza, had become a shelter for the internally displaced, and that missile landed in the middle of the courtyard of the hospital," he added. "There are hundreds killed and wounded. So far, they've counted 473 bodies, but there are expected to be more killed because a lot of the wounded ended up in intensive care and they're in critical condition."
Founded in 1882 and run by the Anglican church, Al Ahli Arab Hospital described itself on its website as "a haven of peace in the middle of one of the world's most troubled places." It's located in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, in the northern region of the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to CGTN, the British-Palestinian doctor warned: "The whole system is falling apart. Before the war in Gaza, [hospitals] had 2,500 beds but we have almost 12,500 wounded."
People inspect the area of Al Ahli hospital where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other. /Mohammed Al-Masri/Reuters
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'A complete collapse of the health system'
Shifa Hospital, which is the largest hospital in Gaza, has twice the number of patients than it has beds, forcing the injured to sleep in corridors on mattresses, with some seeking refuge in the emergency department.
"In addition, there have been 24 doctors killed, 14 nurses killed. A lot of my colleagues have had families killed or have lost their homes. So not only are the consumables and the medication needed to treat patients in the clinic, it's the human resources, the people who run the hospital, the doctors and the nurses."
The medic also explained that some of those who had been treated previously are coming back with infected wounds. He says it has been impossible to follow standard medical protocol of checking and following up on patients' recovery as new arrivals with severe injuries take priority.
"We have had to run five intensive care units because of the severity of the injuries. Yesterday, we ran out of external fixators, which are the fittings and broad stuff that you need to stabilize fractures," Abu-Sittah explained. "We are no longer able to operate the central sterilization machine. So we are sterilizing in a chemical antiseptic."
Families targeted, homes destroyed
He pointed out that "a complete siege" and the negotiations to allow aid into the enclave has not resulted in any relief, adding that the situation is unlikely to change "unless there's a humanitarian corridor and a complete cessation of hostilities of the bombing."
The surgeon said that all the medics will continue to do the best they can but he warned that "a complete collapse of the health system" is near.
Abu-Sittah said it has been extremely challenging for the medical staff, who are not just having to cope with the loss of patients but are also dealing with the fact that their families are being targeted and their homes destroyed.
"A lot of them have had loved ones killed, yet they're trying to provide care for others while also looking after their own families," he said.
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