Updates & Press
Press | December 12, 2023
MedGlobal Urges to Protect Medical Staff and Patie
Author | kaleandflax
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT
Samantha Kupferman, +1 202-215-9620
MedGlobal Urges to Protect Medical Staff and Patients at Kamal Adwan Hospital
BEIT LAHIA – This morning, Israeli forces entered Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza following days of siege, shelling and air strikes around the hospital’s building, which have damaged the facility and forced the staff inside and MedGlobal to call for an immediate evacuation yesterday.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safyia, MedGlobal’s lead physician in Gaza sent the following message: “The IDF has just entered the hospital and took all the men and medical staff. I asked to speak with the officer, introduced myself, and requested the return of the medical team.
They asked me to inspect the building to ensure it was free of weapons, and we did not find anything. The hospital’s security personnel were also present in the area, and they seized them. I was also asked to evacuate the displaced people from one building, which is where the children are, and they will interrogate me shortly.”
Dr. Zaher Sahloul, MedGlobal’s president stated “Hospitals, medical staff, and patients should not be targets of war. International Humanitarian Law is not mere words. It is 150 years of norms and conventions established to protect patients and medics in situations like what we have in Gaza. We urge the Israeli forces to abide by International Humanitarian Law, release all detained medical staff, and assure the safety of patients.”
There are currently 12 medical staff members and 25 patients at Kamal Adwan. There are also approximately 7,000 civilians, many of whom are injured, who have sought refuge at the hospital. At present, MedGlobal believes Dr. Abu Safyia is alive and in IDF custody, and we continue to monitor the situation.
Since 2018, MedGlobal has been working in Gaza through its local team to strengthen the healthcare system, donating medical equipment and supplies, sending medical and surgical missions, supporting mobile clinics, training doctors and nurses, and supporting hospitals, clinics, wound care centers, and dialysis centers in partnership with the local community.
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MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world.