Surgical Thread and Anaesthesia for Gaza

Will anyone deliver surgical thread and anaesthesia to Gaza, ask Gaza’s doctors? This is hardly on the minds of world leaders say many others as they maintain mainly for logistical reasons at present, it is virtually impossible for concerned individuals, anywhere or everywhere, to even assist.

The 45 year war thus continues without end, “period”.  With over three hundred dead, 1800 maimed and with Israeli ground forces invading Gaza Strip two days ago in retaliation for Hamas rocket fire, a form of mental paralysis, perhaps, shrouds the citizens of this forsaken land.

Mostly innocent women and children are feared dead and injured. For some reason reports reaching us say, only two Israeli’s are dead. There must be either a blackout or is Hamas rocket fire only capable of damage to buildings, not people?

The theatre

Let us for a moment imagine a hospital scene in Gaza with A & E doctors running helter-skelter unable to stitch gaping shrapnel wounds from artillery fire. With supplies of surgical thread having run out, what can they use instead? What can they do to control the bleeding? What about the septicaemia?

How can they understand the hysteria surrounding, the wailing, the howling, the anguish and pain? Other than use their ingenuity or by replacing surgical sutures (stitches) with metal staples or with a glue replacement, Surgeons may try their best to contain the situation. However, metal staples are really no substitute for hand stitching. For when a suture becomes infected during operations to tie the ends of bleeding blood vessels, often complications can arise.    

Deliberately Disproportionate attack

The world fears that the blasts in Gaza City are deliberately disproportionate. Critics argue that the intrusion in Gaza is a “heavy handed response to Hamas rocket attacks and is an unwarranted and deliberate form of collective punishment after the five hour truce brokered by Egypt days ago ended and fighting intensified”.

Underground tunnels  

The proliferation of underground tunnels, under the borders with Egypt and with Israel is for most Gaza people the only way to move about in and to Gaza. “Secret tunnels are said to be used by Hamas to bring in arms and money”, say informed observers. Since the 2013 Egyptian Coup, the Egyptian army has destroyed many of these tunnels near their border, For Israel these smuggling tunnels, some even under their borders, continue to be a menace. Thus the pressure mounts on Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire but there appears to be no safe haven.

Protests around the world

Many thousands have marched through London over the Gaza crisis to call for an end to Israeli ground forces and air strikes in Gaza. Other cities around the world too are expected to follow suit.

Worst case scenario

Israeli’s too are hardening their position expecting a worst case scenario. They fear that Kassam and Katyusha rockets may soon target to their bigger cities. Thus “targeting tunnels” that link Gaza to Israel are now contemplated. The hawks want not to waste time with Gaza, but to target Iran. Where will it end? When will the United Nations act?

Victor Cherubim