Dr. Rose's experience highlights the brutal reality of war-torn regions and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
A Surgeon’s Eyewitness Account: Desperate Conditions in Gaza
A Surgeon’s Eyewitness Account: Desperate Conditions in Gaza
Dr. Victoria Rose describes the dire medical circumstances she encountered during her mission in Gaza amid ongoing conflict.
Dr. Victoria Rose, a seasoned plastic surgeon from London, recently shared her harrowing experiences during her 21-day volunteer stint in Gaza earlier this year. Working with a British charity known for responding to humanitarian crises, Dr. Rose attended to patients at Nasser Hospital, the last significant facility still operational in Southern Gaza.
Arriving on June 1, she found herself amid chaos as news broke of a mass shooting near a food distribution center. “Ambulances were flooding in, bringing in the dead, and donkey-drawn carts followed suit,” Dr. Rose recounted. By mid-morning, she noted a chilling tally of over 20 dead and easily around 100 suffering from gunshot wounds.
Throughout her three weeks there, Dr. Rose faced a healthcare system overwhelming under relentless pressure, marked by a sharp increase in the number of patients with catastrophic and often “unsurvivable” trauma. She observed grievous injuries, including severe burns and mutilations caused by the powerful blasts of Israeli bombs.
“The injuries were unprecedented; these weren’t just shrapnel wounds. Children were coming in missing limbs — knees, feet, hands,” she noted solemnly. Her observations underscore the dire humanitarian crisis facing the region and the pressing need for ongoing support from the international community in the face of such overwhelming suffering.
Arriving on June 1, she found herself amid chaos as news broke of a mass shooting near a food distribution center. “Ambulances were flooding in, bringing in the dead, and donkey-drawn carts followed suit,” Dr. Rose recounted. By mid-morning, she noted a chilling tally of over 20 dead and easily around 100 suffering from gunshot wounds.
Throughout her three weeks there, Dr. Rose faced a healthcare system overwhelming under relentless pressure, marked by a sharp increase in the number of patients with catastrophic and often “unsurvivable” trauma. She observed grievous injuries, including severe burns and mutilations caused by the powerful blasts of Israeli bombs.
“The injuries were unprecedented; these weren’t just shrapnel wounds. Children were coming in missing limbs — knees, feet, hands,” she noted solemnly. Her observations underscore the dire humanitarian crisis facing the region and the pressing need for ongoing support from the international community in the face of such overwhelming suffering.
