British MP performs life-saving cancer operation for Palestinians

Israel-Gaza conflict: 'Mr Obama - do you have a heart? Spend one night with us in Gaza. It would change history' ... Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert's open letter evokes conditions in Shifa hospital

In an open letter Norwegian surgeon, Dr Mads Gilbert, who volunteers at a hospital in Gaza has invited US President Barack Obama to spend a night in Al Shifa Hospital to see the consequences of Israeli attacks. The letter is published below

Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor who is volunteering at Shifa, treats a Palestinian girl at the emergency room  
The “ground invasion” of Gaza resulted in scores and carloads with maimed, torn apart, bleeding, shivering, dying... All sorts of injured Palestinians, all ages, all civilians, all innocent.

The heroes in the ambulances and in all of Gaza’s hospitals are working 12 to 24‑hour shifts, grey from fatigue and inhuman workloads (without payment in Shifa for the last four months). They care, triage, try to understand the incomprehensible chaos of bodies, sizes, limbs, walking, not walking, breathing, not breathing, bleeding, not bleeding humans. Humans!

Now, once more treated like animals by “the most moral army in the world” [sic!].

My respect for the wounded is endless, in their contained determination in the midst of pain, agony and shock; my admiration for the staff and volunteers is endless.

My closeness to the Palestinian “sumud” [steadfastness] gives me strength, although in glimpses I just want to scream, hold someone tight, cry, smell the skin and hair of the warm child, covered in blood, protect ourselves in an endless embrace – but we cannot afford that, nor can they.

Ashy grey faces – Oh no! not one more load of tens of maimed and bleeding. We still have lakes of blood on the floor in the emergency room, piles of dripping, blood-soaked bandages to clear out – oh – the cleaners, everywhere, swiftly shovelling the blood and discarded tissues, hair, clothes, cannulas – the leftovers from death – all taken away... to be prepared again, to be repeated all over.

More than 100 cases came to Shifa in the last 24 hours. Enough for a large well-trained hospital with everything, but here – almost nothing: electricity, water, disposables, drugs, operating-room tables, instruments, monitors – all rusted and as if taken from museums of yesterday’s hospitals. But they do not complain, these heroes.

They get on with it, like warriors, enormous,  resolute.

And as I write these words to you, alone, on a bed, my tears flow, the warm but useless tears of pain and grief, of anger and fear. This is not happening!

And then the orchestra of the Israeli war-machine starts its gruesome symphony again. Just now: salvos of artillery from the navy boats down on the shores, the roaring F-16, the sickening drones (Arabic zennanis, the “hummers”), and the Apaches. So much made by and paid for by the US.




Seen from Gaza City, smoke and flames rise from Gaza's electricity distribution company plant after it was hit by Israeli strikes in the Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip,Tuesday, July 29, 2014 (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)  
Mr Obama – do you have a heart? I invite you – spend one night – just one night – with us in Shifa. I am convinced, 100 per cent, it would change history. Nobody with a heart and power could ever walk away from a night in Shifa without being determined to end the slaughter of the Palestinian people.

But the heartless and merciless have done their calculations and planned another dahyia – onslaught on Gaza.

The rivers of blood will keep running the coming night. I can hear they have tuned their instruments of death.

Please. Do what you can. This cannot continue.

Mads Gilbert is a volunteer surgeon at Al-Shifa in Gaza. Letter was written 20 July



http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/israelgaza-conflict-mr-obama-do-you-have-a-heart-spend-one-night-with-us-in-gaza-it-would-change-history-norwegian-doctor-mads-gilberts-open-letter-evokes-conditions-in-shifa-hospital-30452235.html

sassy wrote:Perhaps by speaking out she'll end up saving more as more people protest about what is happening.

eddie wrote:Tbh didge I was interested with the OP and the lady in question, Phillipa Whitford.

didge wrote:Also Dr Mads Gilbert????

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mads_Gilbert

The man is the "Voice of Hamas" a propagandist and lies badly and often



Not knocking the British doctor though, as its what doctors do, help save lives, no matter country you are from.