Gaza, MINA – Inside Gaza City’s Eye Hospital, the main facility for ophthalmic surgeries, exhausted doctors work tirelessly to save lives despite extreme hunger and fatigue caused by Israel’s ongoing blockade and systematic starvation policy.
“Doctors collapse in operating rooms from exhaustion and lack of food, and we give them IV fluids so they can keep working,” said hospital director Abdel Salam Sabbah, as cited by Anadolu Agency.
Most staff arrive at work on empty stomachs, surviving on one meal a day.
Driven by humanitarian duty, medical teams endure long hours in siege conditions where basic food items like bread, sugar, and protein are scarce and more expensive than gold. The UN’s World Food Program warns that one-third of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have gone without food for days, and famine-related deaths continue to rise.
Also Read: Gaza Death Toll Tops 61,700 Amid Relentless Israeli Attacks
Dr. Mohammed Al-Tayeb, an ophthalmologist, said surgical operations have increased from one a month before the war to three a day, each lasting up to three hours. Malnutrition has taken its toll, with many doctors, including Al-Tayeb, losing significant weight. “I walk several kilometers to the hospital and can’t find sugar or protein,” he said.
Dr. Iyad Abu Karsh, head of the anesthesia department, described the physical toll of round-the-clock shifts with minimal food. Delicate surgeries require intense concentration, but “our meals are meager,” he said.
Dr. Maha Daban reported losing 8 kilograms due to the blockade, which has deprived medical workers of essential vitamins and proteins. “Without proper nutrition, I cannot give the same energy to save a patient,” she said.
Israel’s attacks have left nearly 61,600 Palestinians dead since October 2023. International bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, are pursuing cases against Israeli leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. []
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