MER-C Volunteers in Gaza Report Urgent Needs for Indonesian Hospital

Jakarta, MINA – Dr. Dany K. Ramadhan, head of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) volunteer team, has outlined the urgent needs required for the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza to operate normally.

“The primary need is energy sources, specifically electricity. “The hospital’s generator and solar panels are damaged and need immediate repair,” he said in a teleconference with reporters in Jakarta on Monday.

Ramadhan detailed two main types of damage at the Indonesian Hospital: structural damage and damage to equipment.

For structural damage, there is destruction to the road leading to the hospital due to bulldozing. The hospital building, especially on the 2nd and 3rd floors, has been damaged by fire and rocket impacts. Additionally, some rooms have had their roofs collapse.

In terms of equipment damage, several medical devices are broken. There is also minimal electricity and damage to the solar panels, which had been the primary energy source during the aggression.

“Currently, only 20 percent of the solar panels are operational. “The rest is damaged and needs urgent repair,” he said.

Most of the hospital staff are working without pay but remain committed to serving the community.

“Since there is no public transportation, volunteers walk to the hospital, even though they have to cover distances of up to 5 km each way every day,” he added.

“We performed surgeries yesterday even though there was a power outage. We used cellphone flashlights to illuminate the operating room,” Dr. Ramadhan recalled.

MER-C is the only Indonesian medical organization that has successfully sent volunteers to Gaza. They are working in collaboration with WHO. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)