‘Misery and the resilience’: Docs share Gaza stories
EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Crowds held back tears as three Michigan doctors shared horrific stories of treating the wounded in Gaza Monday night in East Lansing Public Library.
The talks come as the war between Hamas and Israel marches towards its seventh month. Hamas leaders agreed to a cease-fire earlier in the day. Israeli officials have sent negotiators to cease-fire talks while military operations begin in the Gazan city of Rafah.
Dr. Bara Zuhaili of Flint and Dr. Hisham Qandeel of Lansing were at the East Lansing Library in person, while Dr. Omar Qahwash of Lansing was joined by Zoom.
Zuhaili said he could not stand by while other physicians risked their lives to save civilians.
He shared heartbreaking stories of his mid-January aid mission to the region.
“This is what I want to people to know about Gaza right now, the misery and the resilience,” he said.
He said one operation on a young boy had stayed with him months after returning home. He treated a boy to later find out the child’s family members were all killed in a bombing.
“I broke down in tears. I said ‘Who is going to take care of this kid? He has no arm and I just spent two hours fixing the third finger,’” said Dr. Zuhaili. “We don’t even know his name, his age. We know nothing about him.”
Qandeel works University of Michigan Health– Sparrow. His aid mission took him to Egypt and Gaza in mid-March. He said the bombardments hurt both civilians and medical professionals alike.
Including an anesthesiology technician. He said the man was talking to the hospital when he was hit in a blast. Rush to the hospital and treated by the same surgeons that knew him.
“The anesthesiology colleagues were crying watching their colleague try to be salvaged and what happened? We could not save the patient. He died on the table,” said Dr. Qandeel.
The stories weighed heavily on many in the crowd, like Nazita Lajevardi.
“Just hearing their struggles with that, it was very impactful to hear,” she said.
The crowd asked the physicians questions about how the public could help and their thoughts on American efforts to build a port to transport aid.
The doctors shared their skepticism on how genuine the effort is and why it took so long to help aid efforts.
Dr. Zuhaili says while lawmakers may not be quick to act, he hopes the night gives the public the information they need.
“Let the people decide and the people will eventually the people will mount enough pressure to change policy,” he said.
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