In brief
Amidst the relentless backdrop of conflict, Dr. Wissam Sukkar shares her harrowing experience navigating healthcare challenges in Gaza. With hospitals damaged and medical supplies running low, those most vulnerable are at the forefront of a collapsing health system, where morbidity is rising and hope is fading.
In the heart of Gaza City, Dr. Wissam Sukkar embarks on her daily journey through streets marred by war, contending with the aftermath of an ongoing conflict that has ravaged the healthcare landscape. Arriving at a makeshift Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic, she traces her struggles against the overwhelming weight of scarcity—an all too familiar reality for healthcare workers amid the escalating crisis.As she reflects on her 50-minute trek, Dr. Sukkar highlights the current state of healthcare in Gaza, where only a fraction of the hospitals remain functional due to severe restrictions imposed by the ongoing Israeli blockade. “We are trying to hold on,” she notes, underscoring her determination to serve those in desperate need, despite dwindling resources.By mid-morning, the demand for medical attention explodes. Dr. Sukkar surveys the makeshift reception area, now overflowed with patients, largely comprising displaced families living under extraordinary conditions. She confronts the harsh truth that the healthcare system is collapsing under the stress of complex medical cases and a critical shortage of supplies. “Most of our patients are displaced; they have little access to food and clean water,” she states, raising alarm about the rising cases of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and severe injuries linked to the conflict.The influx of severely injured patients following an Israeli airstrike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital amplifies the crisis. Patients like Saeed Barkat, who has endured the chaos of relocation from one damaged hospital to another, speak to the desperation felt across the strip. “What more can we endure?” he laments, receiving palliative care from the already overstretched staff at MSF.By mid-afternoon, with their clinic resources severely limited, Dr. Sukkar and her colleagues grapple with shortages of essential medications. “For chronic conditions, we have no insulin or treatments—our supplies are perpetually diminishing,” she discloses, revealing the stark challenge of rationing leftover supplies amid unprecedented demands.As their workday draws to a close, Dr. Sukkar reflects on the personal toll the conflict exacts, not just from her patients but also on her family life. After treating nearly 390 patients, the prospect of returning home looms heavy. As she dials her family's number, the conversation is tinged with the struggles she faces securing basic necessities for her own children, echoing the plight of many Gazans.“Living here feels like a never-ending nightmare,” she expresses, capturing the essence of a community trapped in a spiral of despair. “Hope is a fleeting visitor in our lives,” she concludes, underscoring the pressing need for a resolution to the relentless conflict, a plea that remains unanswered for now.
