Treating the untreatable: The exhausting battle of Gaza’s medical staff

The healthcare system in Gaza has completely collapsed due to the genocidal war waged by the Israeli regime and systematic, deliberate attacks on hospitals and medical centers.

A suffocating blockade imposed for the past 70 days has prevented any medicines or medical supplies from reaching Gaza, plunging the region’s healthcare system into a catastrophic state.

Dr. Anas Hajjawi, an orthopedic surgeon recently returned from Gaza, described the dire medical situation in an interview with Al Jazeera, part of which is as follows:

Open fractures, skin lacerations, protruding bones, and significant loss of muscle, tissue, nerves, and tendons are among the common injuries in Gaza. In some cases, large bones are entirely destroyed. Most complex fractures occur in the pelvic area, and compound fractures—where bones shatter into multiple pieces—are excruciating injuries sustained due to the attacks. Treating these requires precise equipment, which is often unavailable or insufficient in Gaza’s hospitals.

Critical conditions in Gaza’s hospitals

I have repeatedly lacked basic supplies like sterilization tools or surgical drapes in the operating room. We were forced to use scraps of surgical clothing to cover wounds, which increased infections and often led to failed surgeries. Hospitals and medical centers in Gaza face severe shortages at all levels. Sometimes, we had to reuse personal data-x-items for multiple patients, spreading infections further.

Tragically, many severely injured patients died due to the lack of resources. We had to separate the equipment used on them and reuse it for others. Many patients we treated later died, either from bombings or infections after returning to their homes or refugee camps. Often, patients are discharged with infections due to poor sterilization and inadequate conditions. The lack of proper food and medicine makes recovery extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Gaza’s people feel abandoned by the world

Before going to Gaza, like anyone living outside and unexposed to war, I was afraid of entering a place where my life could be at risk. I wondered, “Are you a coward? What can you do in such harsh conditions without food, medicine, or equipment?” Many doctors likely felt the same before arriving. But once you’re there, the warm welcome from patients and medical staff erases all fear. I can say that the people of Gaza have nothing left to lose and fear nothing.

The worst feeling for Gazans is the sense of betrayal—that no one cares about them. They have entrusted their lives and deaths to God, and for them, life and death are a daily gamble. Every medical worker I met in Gaza had lost at least one family member in this war. For them, life and death are merely a matter of time, an inevitable reality they no longer fear. Medical staff say goodbye to their mothers, fathers, and children before heading to work, having overcome their fear and accepted that martyrdom could come at any moment.

The tragic plight of Gaza’s exhausted doctors

Medical staff in Gaza work under horrific conditions, deprived of food and water like the rest of the population, and are forced to endure long hours with severe shortages. Anesthesia drugs are unavailable in Gaza’s hospitals, and even medical delegations entering during ceasefires were prohibited from bringing anesthetics. I personally had to surrender my anesthesia tools before entering Gaza.

Healthcare workers in Gaza are exhausted from long hours, overwhelming numbers of casualties, and a lack of supplies. The strain and fatigue are visible on every medical worker’s face. Many lose loved ones while tending to patients and the wounded.

Gaza’s doctors are utterly exhausted and desperately need external support. It is our duty—whether in medical or logistical capacities—to support them. They are the backbone of Gaza’s resilience, and the medical sector is the last pillar of resistance and the final line of defense for these people.