Amid the relentless siege and raid by Israeli forces on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza, Dr. Hatem Raba, one of the few remaining physicians, has delivered a poignant account of the dire situation unfolding within the besieged medical complex.
In a heart-wrenching interview with CNN, Dr. Raba revealed the desperate and catastrophic conditions prevailing inside the hospital. Chronic shortages of electricity, oxygen, heating, and basic necessities like food and water have plunged the facility into a state of crisis, leaving medical staff and patients alike in dire straits.
Nasser hospital, formerly the largest functioning hospital, now stands as a stark symbol of the devastation wrought by the ongoing conflict. The Hospital had earlier been attacked by the Israeli Defence Forces, which claims that “hundreds” of Hamas militants were hiding within the hospital premises.
Dr. Raba recounting the harrowing memory from the attack day informed, the Israeli Forces have inflicted humiliating and degrading treatment upon medical staff as well as doctors. He informed, the Israeli Forces have forced them to strip to their underwear and wait in the cold for hours before allowing only five doctors to return and continue their work. He informed he was one of the five doctors allowed to return and care for the patients.
“It was a humiliating and degrading moment for me as a doctor in front of my colleagues, in front of my community,” he said.
“Five doctors treating 150 patients, can you imagine this? We just need basic medical treatment for resuscitation, to keep patients alive, that’s all,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the interview, Dr. Raba’s plea for urgent assistance echoes the cries of countless civilians trapped in the crossfire of conflict.
“Never in my life have I prayed for a patient to survive, because as a doctor, it is my responsibility to save their life. But now, the fate of my patients is not in my control, because I don’t have sufficient supplies or the equipment I need to care for them. I am praying and weeping,” he said.
