4 May 2017
Israel’s 51-day military offensive on Gaza in 2014 was the deadliest to date, causing the deaths of 2,217 Palestinians, including 556 children. The effects of the destruction and damage to homes and infrastructure are still felt today, with 40,000 people still displaced from their homes which are yet to be repaired. Gaza’s only rehabilitation hospital – Al Wafa – was completely destroyed and has still not been rebuilt.
More than 11,000 Palestinians were wounded. Three years on, many still live with the long-term impacts of traumatic and disabling injuries.
In the immediate aftermath, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and our partner IDEALS responded by sending a team of orthopaedic surgeons from King’s College Hospital in London to Gaza. There, they began conducting vital operations for patients, and training a local team of limb reconstruction specialists, including surgeons and theatre nurses.
Their regular visits since 2014 led to the establishment of Gaza’s first dedicated Limb Reconstruction Unit at the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Last year, 144 patients attended the clinic, and 55 operations were performed. Through this project, we have also helped to train Palestinian physiotherapists, who are helping patients recover better from their injuries and regain mobility and functioning.
Thanks to our supporters, Gaza’s Limb Reconstruction Unit is changing lives in Gaza. The surgery and aftercare they provide dramatically improves the condition of patients with severe and complex injuries, setting them on the road to recovery.
Sana*, a former nurse, was one of those injured during the 2014 offensive. She spoke to MAP about her injury, and the treatment and care she received from both British medics and the Gaza limb reconstruction team:
My neighbourhood, Beit Lahia, was attacked by artillery on 19 July. Although it's a calm and peaceful area, six shells struck our neighbour's house. Shrapnel went through the window and hit my hand. I felt nothing, but when I looked at my hand, I discovered that it was barely attached to the rest of my arm. As I used to take aspirin, the bleeding was severe and my hand turned blue.
I called my daughter's husband, who came immediately and took me to Kamal Adwan Hospital. I lost consciousness, and when I woke up I was instead at Al-Shifa hospital, having been transferred there, and I heard doctors talking about amputating my hand.
Initially, the doctors in Gaza wanted to transfer me to Egypt, but I refused as I was afraid of hepatitis which I have heard was widespread there. Therefore doctors attached my arm to an external fixation device for three months. Then, they tried to transfer me to the West Bank.
Luckily, when I received the permission to leave Gaza on 19 November, the MAP British medical delegation arrived and instead persuaded me to undergo the surgery in Gaza.
At the beginning, I was very afraid. I thought that my hand would be amputated. This fear lasted for three months. When [British surgeon] Jonathan Compson came to Gaza and talked to me, he convinced me that everything will be better. He was honest and confident. I could feel the positive change right after the surgery. I felt that I had my hand back.
As a housewife, I initially couldn't do any housekeeping. Moreover, as a right-handed person, I faced a lot of difficulties doing simple personal things such as writing. My daughters, who are married, had to come regularly to cook and do the housekeeping. My husband encouraged and supported me in every step. In fact, I wouldn't have overcome the hardships of my injury without my family's help.
I was enrolled in the physiotherapy programme for 18 months, including pre/post-surgery rehabilitation.
[The physiotherapy team] were very friendly and inspiring. As a nurse, I felt that I was dealing with professional people who were focused on my interest.
The first word that I heard in the hospital when I was injured was ‘amputation’. But now, due to MAP's contribution in my case, I regained most of control on my hand, and I can have a normal life again.
If you would like to support the work of Gaza's Limb Reconstruction Unit, please consider making a donation today.
*Name changed to protect identity
