analysis-and-reports

Gaza Mobile and Fixed Prosthetic Hospital Project

Effective treatment of the wounded in Gaza, especially those who have lost limbs, is very difficult due to the unfavourable situation and conditions.

Unfortunately, the attacks launched by Israel against civilians in Gaza are still continuing. As of 19 June 2024, 37,396 civilians were killed and 85,523 wounded in Gaza (1). Although there are civilians with various limb losses among the wounded, there is no precise information on how many of them are and what the limb losses consist of. Since the infrastructure of Gaza has been destroyed to a great extent at this stage, the health infrastructure has also been affected by this unfavourable situation. Therefore, it is very difficult to provide effective treatment to the wounded, especially those who have lost limbs. In addition, the international community, including Turkey, is massing humanitarian and medical aid to the El-Arish region of Egypt, but it is reported in the press that very limited humanitarian aid and health supplies are allowed to enter through the Rafah border crossing.

In addition, a pier was established by the USA. However, from the images in the press, it does not seem possible to use the jetty in question without any breakwater, especially in stormy weather. Turkey evacuated some Palestinian patients to Turkey by establishing an air bridge on its own initiative. It is also reflected in the press that Turkey continues to evacuate patients whenever it finds the opportunity. In our previous article, it was stated that Turkey should take the initiative on the "Reconstruction of Gaza" which is included in the UNSC Resolution 2735 (2024) (See, AKYAR, M.S. https://strasam.org/ua-iliskiler/uluslararasi-sorunlar/gazzenin-yeniden-insasi-ve-turkiye-3309). In addition, although there are mobile hospitals among the aids provided to Gaza so far, there is no information about prosthesis specialised hospitals for the limbs lost by the people. Summary information about the developed project is presented below.

Name of the Project:

Gaza Mobile and Fixed Prosthetic Hospital

Project Coordinator:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Sadık Akyar (Girne American University)

Project Co-ordinator Assist:

Assoc. Prof. Hakan Arıdemir (Kütahya Dumlupınar University)

Project Objective:

To meet the prosthetic needs of Palestinian citizens who have lost limbs in Gaza due to Israeli attacks, to complete their treatment and to provide this service continuously. The project consists of two phases in general terms.

The first phase is mobile and the second phase is related to the services provided in the fixed hospital. First of all, mobile vehicles (container/vehicle) will be used to identify and measure the missing limbs of people with limb loss in certain centres. The purpose of using a mobile hospital in the first stage is to provide the necessary service to the patients in need as soon as possible. According to these measurements, prostheses will be prepared in mobile vehicle prosthesis workshops and will be attached to people in need. Afterwards, people who have received their prostheses will be rehabilitated in mobile vehicles in order to get used to their prostheses. Mobile systems can also be directed to various parts of Gaza. The structure of the mobile systems and the concept of their use will vary according to the situation.

In the second phase, a fixed prosthesis hospital to be built within the scope of the reconstruction activities of Gaza will be able to provide this service in a sustainable manner. In this way, as stated before, Turkey can contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza, and a fixed prosthesis specialised hospital will be established in Gaza to provide a continuous service to people with prostheses. With this specialised hospital to be established, in the following years, a group of people living in these regions who are physically connected to Turkey in addition to their heart ties to Turkey can also be formed.

If desired, this project can be accepted as a pilot project and can be implemented in coordination with the World Health Organisation, International Red Crescent and Red Cross organisations in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and even Afghanistan where conflicts and civil wars have been going on for a long time.

Funding:

The initial source of the project is a small amount for state projects. In addition, after coordination and approval with the relevant authorities, funds can also be raised from the international community. It can also be provided from other countries willing to participate in the project.

The project has been in the works for a long time. Two private companies in Turkey have been approached to establish this system and it has been agreed that the project can be realised with "local and national" means. This project is primarily a humanitarian project and is in line with Turkey's "Entrepreneurial and Humanitarian Foreign Policy" and "Turkish Century" policies. In addition, the project is a prestige project that sets an example of university and private sector cooperation and is a prestige project for Turkey and other countries and international organisations wishing to participate in the project. In addition, the project document has been prepared in general. There is only a need for a final update and determination of its scope by interviewing the relevant companies.

Conclusion

The realisation of such a humanitarian project will meet an important need of the civilian victims of war, will further enhance Turkey's role in Gaza and contribute to its international prestige. In addition, an important contribution will be made to this invisible area of the defence industry.