‘Over 1,000 Pakistani doctors volunteer to serve in Gaza’

ISLAMABAD: Over 1,000 medical specialists, including 400 female healthcare professionals have volunteered to go to the besieged Gaza and treat thousands of people who are seriously injured in unending airstrikes by Israel, Alkhidmat Health Foundation officials said.

“Since Saturday when we launched an online appeal for healthcare volunteers to serve in the Gaza strip, over 1,000 medical specialists including orthopedic, vascular and general surgeons, anesthetists, pediatric surgeons, emergency and critical care specialists and gynaecologists have registered with us to help their injured and sick brethren in Gaza,” Dr Zahid Latif, Chairman of Al-Khidmat Health Foundation told ‘The News’.

Healthcare system in the besieged Gaza has collapsed due to destruction of hospitals in the air and missile strikes, killings of the doctors and paramedics, suspension of electricity, water and fuel for the generators, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday, adding that there were over 18,000 patients, most of whom were unable to get treatment due to lack of medicines, medical supplies and damaged infrastructure.

The Al-Khidmat Health Foundation chairman said 40 percent of the doctors, who volunteered to go to Gaza, were women medical specialists including gynecologists, pediatricians, surgeons and critical care specialists and added that some nurses and allied health professionals had also expressed their willingness to serve at the health facilities in the besieged Gaza.

He said they have approached the World Health Organisation (WHO) country office in Islamabad as well as WHO Emro head office in Cairo, Egypt to let them know about Pakistani healthcare professionals’ willingness to serve injured patients in Gaza whenever they are allowed to enter the warzone by the Israeli and Egyptian authorities.

“We very well know that at the moment, it is almost impossible to go to Gaza due to ongoing war but we are under tremendous pressure from Pakistani healthcare fraternity to make arrangements for them to go to Gaza. At the moment, the WHO and our partner organisations have not given us any green signal to send the healthcare professionals to any neighbouring country of Israel for serving in Gaza,” Dr Zahid Latif added.

To a query, he said Al-Khidmat Foundation was also sending medicines, medical supplies, hygiene kits and safe delivery kits to Gaza through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), while food and other essential items were being sent to Turkish-based partner organisations, which were operating inside Gaza.

“There are around 50,000 pregnant ladies in Gaza, who need medical assistance for safe deliveries and at a time when most of the health facilities have been destroyed by the Israeli forces, safe deliveries can only be carried out at homes where they would need safe delivery kits and proper awareness,” he said, adding that they were also trying to prepare some awareness material in Arabic language for the women and children in Gaza.

According to him, the healthcare professionals, belonging to Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) and some others who had affiliations with other medical associations, had served twice inside Gaza in the past but added that at the moment, the situation is very difficult as entire healthcare infrastructure has been destroyed by the Israelis in the besieged Gaza.