The patients have been receiving medical treatment at several hospitals in Qatar including Hamad General Hospital, The View Hospital and Sidra Medicine.
Sidra Medicine has cared for more than 170 Palestinian children from Gaza since December 9, 2023.
The Palestinian children are amongst those evacuated by Qatar from the Gaza Strip under an initiative by Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The initiative aims to sponsor 3,000 orphans and provide medical care for 1,500 injured Palestinians from the coastal enclave.
Sidra Medicine is one of seven hospitals in Qatar taking part in the initiative, playing a crucial role in triaging paediatric patients.
The hospital has offered a range of tailored services to the patients, many of whom require complex, multi-disciplinary care including orthopaedics, plastics, and neurosurgery.
It has dedicated a 22-bed ward specifically for the young Palestinians and works closely with humanitarian organisations and government agencies to facilitate their transportation and integration into the healthcare system. Outpatient care is also provided, including physical and occupational therapy, along with mental health support.
Acting Chief Medical Officer at Sidra Medicine, Dr Ahmed Al Hammadi, who serves as the national lead in paediatrics for the programme, played a crucial role in standardised care for all children arriving from Gaza.
Chair of Surgery at Sidra Medicine Dr Mansour Ali, spoke on his mission to bring severely injured children from the Rafah-Egypt border to Qatar, saying “most of the children who were initially admitted were those with poly-trauma as they had sustained multiple injuries and required life-saving speciality surgical interventions and procedures done.”
“We also received young children with chronic diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, who also needed critical care,” he added.
Dr Mansour highlighted the hospital’s multi-disciplinary approach, noting that they “set up specialised treatment protocols for the children” and “two to three specialist surgeons in a room” for emergency surgeries.
Ten children a day are losing one or both of their legs in Israel’s, commonly known as, genocidal war in Gaza, the head of the United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees said last month.
“Ten per day, that means around 2,000 children after more than 260 days of this brutal war,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.
The hospital’s teams have been looking after the transitions for children with amputated limbs, working closely with other clinics and HMC’s prosthetics programme.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, Sidra Medicine conducted 202 surgeries across various specialities, including 59 plastic surgeries, 51 interventional radiology procedures, 26 orthopaedic surgeries, 22 ENT surgeries, 19 general thoracic surgeries, and 14 neurosurgeries.
“We pulled all-stops as a country and as a healthcare network to ensure every patient coming in and their families received the best care possible and to feel a sense of safety and community.” Dr Mansour noted.
“This would not have been possible without the efforts of the Government of Qatar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health.” He added.
Children receiving treatment
Among the patients is 9-year-old Mayar who arrived at Sidra Medicine on April 8, from Gaza via Egypt, after sustaining a head injury from a blast.
She underwent a right-sided craniotomy for shrapnel removal and required intubation. Mayar, now under medical follow-up including neurology due to seizure risk, continues to receive occupational and physical therapy, as well as mental health support.
She lives in Doha with her mother and three siblings.
Hamad, a 12-year-old boy, arrived at Sidra Medicine in December 2023 after suffering a shrapnel injury to his abdomen.
He underwent emergency surgery, including a laparotomy, colostomy, and stoma creation. After a successful colostomy closure on May 9, 2024. Hamad is recovering in Doha with his mother.
Evacuations from Gaza to Qatar
Meanwhile, the evacuations of Palestinians from Gaza to Qatar took place before Israel invaded and destroyed the Gaza-Egypt Rafah Crossing on May 6.
The patients have been receiving medical treatment at several hospitals in Qatar including Hamad General Hospital, The View Hospital and Sidra Medicine.
The Palestinian evacuees have also been residing at the Al Thumama Complex, a residential compound initially built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup fans.
The life-saving evacuations came as the Gaza Strip’s collapsed medical sector struggles to treat tens of thousands of wounded Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
Since October 7, Israel has killed at least 39,583 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, while wounding more than 91,398.
Under Israel’s efforts to deprive Palestinians of life-saving medical and humanitarian assistance, aid workers and medics have been among Israel’s frequent targets.
