Nobody can be unmoved or ignore the dreadful casualties and damage in Gaza, in the operation to free hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. What is perhaps not so obvious, is the effect on routine medical treatment on the Strip, which has also virtually ground to a halt.
One of the most desperate stories, among so many, is that of baby Sadeel Hamdan who urgently needs a liver transplant. We have a donor but need to get her out of Gaza for this operation. We at Medics Under Fire are calling on all political parties to help us. We rescued 500 children at the height of the Syrian conflict and have always tried to hold leaders to account to International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, which – in this case of Gaza – seems to have been ignored.
We must get this sick baby out of Gaza as soon as possible. Among the friction of the election, we appeal to the current Prime Minister and Keir Starmer – the likely next one – to use all their powers of diplomacy and tenacity to persuade the Israelis and Hamas to allow the baby out. We are in communications with ministers and politicians, but the danger is this will be lost in the election noise.
We could do something marvellous for this desperately ill baby if it were not for the current frenetic politics. This is not just Israel blocking this but also Hamas. If they agreed to the ceasefire this would all be over.
This is the case of a nine-month-old baby, Sadeel Hamdan, who has biliary atresia and is in fulminant liver failure. She is in desperate need of an urgent liver transplant. Both she and her father have been security cleared for medical evacuation since March 9 but due to processing delays – and the closure of the Rafah border by Israel on May 7 – she has not yet been medically evacuated. Sadeel’s father is the identified donor match to give part of his liver to his daughter.
Organ transplants cannot happen due to the destruction of healthcare systems in this current conflict. She is sponsored by UK-based Children Not Numbers (CNN), a relatively new organisation run by two accomplished lawyers who have already moved more than 150 children out of Gaza since the war started. However, since May 7 this work has stopped – Israel and Hamas are not permitting anymore evacuations.
A narrow window of opportunity
Bile is produced from the liver and helps absorption of fats from the bowel. It also contains byproducts from breakdown of various chemicals and needs to be excreted. Bile is released from the liver and makes its way to the bowel through ducts. Children born with biliary atresia do not have bile ducts and the bile cannot be excreted and builds up in the blood. This causes jaundice and liver cirrhosis. When the levels reach a critical level, most children will die in the first year of life. The treatment of this condition requires a procedure which takes up a loop of bowel to the liver. It is very successful and allows children with this condition to have a normal life.
We now know that Al Aqsa Hospital, in Deir Al-Balah, is dealing with a mass casualty situation following the Nuseirat Refugee camp attack. As reports show, the hospital is full of patients and is drawing heavily on the small number of healthcare workers there. Sadeel has been stabilised by her dedicated medical team over the last six months of her short life, with remote input from NHS doctors. However, we know that the Gaza team is overstretched.
We are connected with the medical director of UK Med in Gaza to see if there is any scope for their assistance and accepting baby Sadeel in order to medically stabilise and prepare for a potential medical evacuation.
At a time of such tragedy in Gaza, and the UK’s current stance on not accepting any wounded or sick patients from Gaza, we wonder whether a demonstration of humanitarianism is now due. We have a narrow window of opportunity to help this child. If we can get her out of Gaza we can get her the urgent medical treatment she needs to save her life.
Political leaders in this country need to pause and think how they can make a difference now and not just wait until July 5. Cross party support at this time might be just enough to get this very sick girl the medical attention she so desperately needs, unavailable in her country but available here. Do not stand on the sidelines because Gaza and Israel are too controversial and may affect your political campaigning; just do the right thing and help.
- Medics Under Fire: Dr Saleyha Ahsan, Professor David Nott, Ellie Nott and Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
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