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June 26th, 2024 ― Doha, Qatar: Dr. Raed Al-Arini, Thoracic Surgery Consultant hired by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) in Gaza, saved the life of Moaz (13), a Palestinian child hit by shrapnel during a bombing of his district in Central Gaza Governorate.
Upon his arrival at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital’s emergency department, the badly injured boy was immediately sent to the operating room for a life-saving surgery.
“When entered into the hospital, Moaz was really shocked and scared,” said Dr. Al-Arini. “Clinical examinations clearly showed a direct shrapnel wound in the chest. With my medical assistants, I performed an emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. He is currently at the thoracic surgery ICU department, and his family were told that he would recover soon, but he had to stay hospitalized for a few days to receive necessary postoperative care”.
QRCS’s thoracic surgery consultant warned against a complete collapse of the health system, with many health services halted as a result of the bombing of hospitals and health workers. At the same time, there are large numbers of critical injuries that require urgent interventions, while the doctors have insufficient medical supplies and equipment to save the patients.
Since the eruption of war in October 2023, Dr. Al-Arini has performed more than 2,000 surgeries at several hospitals in central and southern parts of Gaza, in the teeth of nonstop warnings of hospital bombing.
Dr. Akram Nassar, head of QRCS’s representation office in Gaza, said they were closely coordinating with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH) in Gaza to ensure continued health care services at the few hospitals remaining, despite scarcity of resources due to the war and closure of crossings.
According to him, QRCS’s interventions are currently focused on sustaining health services, with QRCS’s doctors performing surgeries at Gaza hospitals, mainly thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, psychological support, and medical care for endocrine diseases and diabetes.
“Since week 1 of the war, QRCS has made 18,927 medical interventions, including over 3,000 life-saving surgeries for patients under the Surgical Operations for Patients in Gaza 2023-2024 project,” he concluded, “Even though more health facilities are bombed across the blockade, humanitarian efforts would continue, in order to avoid the collapse of Gaza’s health sector”.
About Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS)
Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is Qatar’s first humanitarian and volunteering organization that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.
QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 192 National Societies. It is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent (ICIC) and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO). In this legally recognized capacity, QRCS has access to disaster and conflict zones, thus serving as an auxiliary to the State of Qatar in its humanitarian and social efforts — a role that distinguishes it from other local charities and NGOs.
Both locally and internationally, QRCS has relief and development operations in numerous countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central and South America. Its humanitarian mandates include disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and risk reduction. To mitigate the impact of disasters and improve the livelihoods of affected populations, QRCS provides medical services, food, water, shelter, and other needs of local communities. It is also active at the humanitarian diplomacy and advocacy front.
With the help of a vast network of trained, committed staff and volunteers, QRCS aspires to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity, inspired by the seven Fundamental Principles of humanitarian action: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.