GAZA: Amidst the constant roar of Israeli warplanes and drones, Dr. Najdat Saqr has transformed a refugee tent in the heart of the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza into a makeshift dental clinic, offering care to those in need.
Utilizing what remains of his dental equipment, which was destroyed during the relentless Israeli airstrikes on the enclave since October last year, Dr. Saqr hangs all his professional certificates on the tent to reassure his patients, while his modern equipment rests on a plastic sheet laid out on the sandy ground.
Dr. Saqr, 32, had to abandon his dental center in Nuseirat early in the onslaught after several Israeli strikes caused severe damage to his clinic. The bombardment destroyed a significant part of the clinic, with shards from the blasts penetrating its iron door, as shown by Dr. Saqr on his tablet.
Despite the nearby sounds of Israeli bombings, Dr. Saqr remains composed, calming a young boy undergoing treatment while the hum of drones blends with the whir of the dental drill
.
Explaining his decision to AFP, Dr. Saqr says, “Most dentists either left the country or their clinics were damaged and they couldn’t reopen. So, the idea of the dental tent came to my mind.” To materialize this idea, “I went to the center, salvaged a chair among the wreckage, transported it here using a tuk-tuk, and set up the tent, repairing and arranging the devices, materials, and tools.”
However, Dr. Saqr faces numerous challenges in the tent, primarily related to the lack of electricity, water, and dental supplies. These vital resources are scarce and, if available, come at exorbitant prices.
The United Nations has warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with none of the enclave’s hospitals operating at full capacity over the past two months.
Israeli attacks have targeted hospitals and their surroundings with sieges, bombardments, and incursions, despite the fact they have turned into shelters for thousands of displaced people seeking safety.
The World Health Organizatio
n announced on Saturday that about nine thousand patients in the besieged enclave urgently need evacuation for emergency care.
The Director-General of the UN agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated, “With only 10 hospitals minimally functional across the whole of Gaza, thousands of patients continue to be deprived of health care.” Gaza had 36 hospitals before the onslaught, according to WHO figures.
Medical sources report that 107 patients trapped in the Shifa Medical Complex have been gathered in the Human Resource Development building under inhumane conditions without water, electricity, or medicine, two weeks after Israeli forces stormed the complex. Among these patients are 30 in critical condition, in addition to 60 medical staff. Despite international efforts to evacuate these patients, the occupation authorities have blocked all attempts, putting their lives at risk.
In a preliminary toll, the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7th has resulted in 32,705 documented Palestinian fatal
ities, the majority of whom are children and women.
Additionally, 75,190 individuals have been injured, with thousands still missing under the rubble and on the streets. The Israeli occupation continues to obstruct ambulance and rescue teams from reaching them.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA