Gaza surgeon describes suffering in ‘collapsing’ health system

CGTN Europe

Gaza’s health system was on its knees before the war but is now in a desperate state, according to a #surgeon in #Gaza. Dr Mohamed Ziara opens up to CGTN Europe about how hospitals are struggling as Israel continues its bombardment and he urges for a #ceasefire.

Transcript

00:00 Actually, it is nearly, it's collapsing.

00:05 And to tell you something, before the war started and the whole situation comes to this,

00:14 there was, the health system was already on its knees.

00:19 And it was like suffering from the siege and lack of, you know, medical aids and the capability

00:26 to run the hospital in the ideal or the optimal situation.

00:32 So after destroying and evacuating many hospitals, it's hard to imagine the Amouaj without these

00:42 main hospitals.

00:44 This medical system or the health care system is now maybe capable of providing only primary

00:52 health care now.

00:53 And to add to this, the fuel, the electricity, the medical aid shortage, it's all adding

01:04 a big burden on the health system.

01:08 And beside, you know, that every hospital in Gaza was taken as a shelter for many refugees.

01:17 If you see any corridors inside the hospital, you wouldn't believe this is a hospital.

01:23 These all corridors are filled with people, refugees, children running, and they are taking,

01:34 making some tents inside the hospital corridors.

01:38 So with the demands of these refugees and the affection of these refugees to the health

01:46 system, the patients, it is so unimaginable, actually.

01:50 We hear all these different emergencies that you have in Gaza, food supplies, medical supplies,

01:56 water, the continued bombardment, the ground fighting, all these different issues.

02:02 If you had one wish, Dr. Ziara, what would be your top priority?

02:05 What would be your first wish?

02:08 Well, it's surely that it's been talking about, it's been said several times.

02:14 Ceasefire is the only option that we have, the only, maybe, the only mercy we have, we

02:21 can have to work in here.

02:22 I mean, ongoing bombing and firing is not helpful, is not, is not like, we can't work

02:32 under that, even if we have everything else, even if we have the medical aid we need.

02:40 Because you know, we can't reach the hospital if we have bombing, even if there is medical

02:45 aids and, you know, food.

02:49 The patients and the families are so worried and starting to evacuate the hospital because

02:55 of the near bombing and near fighting.

02:59 A lot of my patients flee from the hospital away because they are afraid of the siege

03:07 that the, the, the, the concurrence and the repeated siege of the hospital.

03:11 So I mean, nothing will help us but to stop the bombing, stop the firing, stop the attacking.

03:20 We already have a big burden here and a lot of patient lists that are waiting, but to

03:26 have more than this, it is, it's completely unbearable and unimaginable.

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