Supporting radiography in wartime: update on outreach work in Gaza

Tamer Ganem is an Egyptian radiographer who lives in Gaza with his family. He has worked in the healthcare sector for 15 years, both in hospitals in Gaza and also in private centres in Egypt.

International assistance provided by organisations such as the World Health Organization and UK-Med to hospital departments in Gaza is crucial to strengthening medical capacity, especially operating rooms, and supporting collaborative efforts amid the difficult circumstances that prevent the health sector from operating during wartime.

The European Hospital in Gaza recently received a delegation from UK-Med. Their visit included a meeting with the hospital administration and a tour of the operating and surgical departments.

Meanwhile, a medical delegation from Norway, organised by the Norwalk Foundation, gave a lecture to the radiology staff, orthopaedic consultants and nurses. A meeting was also held with the hospital’s wound care unit, where several medical conditions requiring specialised care were discussed. Ways to improve and develop wound care methods were also talked about, with the aim of improving the service provided to patients and ensuring the provision of distinguished and effective healthcare. 

This meeting comes within the framework of the ongoing cooperation between the foundation and the medical team to improve healthcare standards and provide the best medical solutions for wound patients. Other organisations that participated in supporting medical staff in Gaza included the Indonesian Rahmah Foundation. There was also a triage course in the emergency department, held by the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency department staff. And there was a team of Egyptian medical staff, professors from Cairo University at Kasr El Aini Hospital, specialising in orthopaedic injuries, bone tumours, joint fractures, bone infections and peripheral nerves, as well as plastic surgery for war injuries and hand surgery. 

During the outpatient medical examinations of these delegations, we gained experience of how to deal with the disasters that we face. There has been ample support for radiology. We work with orthopaedic surgeons using imaging equipment, including C-arms, and also in the neurology and vascular surgery rooms. The most common cases are emergency ones that are transferred to the necessary operating rooms, such as fractures that require skilled orthopaedic surgeons to treat the patient. Furthermore, given the time available to international doctors with other Arab delegations, reports can be written after completing assignments for difficult operating theatres, such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology and plastic surgery. Conferences and lectures can also be held to discuss and study these cases, gaining practical experience. 

It is very important for the international aid provided by the World Health Organization to the hospitals in Gaza to enhance medical capabilities, and to work together as a result of the difficult circumstances that prevent the health sector from working during the war.