Restoring hope in Gaza
Meet the NHS doctors helping to rebuild lives, 6 months on from the ceasefire.
24-year-old Abdullah and his fiancee. Abdullah was seriously injured in the 2014 conflict in Gaza. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
Abdullah was on his motorbike in downtown Gaza when it happened.
He was on the way to pick up his marriage permission certificate from the court house. It was August 2014. He바카라 사이트檇 just become engaged to his fianc茅e and his life was about to change for ever, in a way he바카라 사이트檇 never imagined.
바카라 사이트淚 suddenly found myself flying through the air바카라 사이트� he says.
바카라 사이트淚 found my leg bent to one side and shattered. There was shrapnel in my arm. I lost consciousness and when I came round I was in hospital. I was in intensive care for 17 days.
바카라 사이트淭he pain was unbearable.바카라 사이트�
Abdullah had been caught in one of the thousands of explosions that rocked Gaza during the 50-day-long conflict last summer.
Most of the bones in his left arm were shattered after building debris fell on him. A second explosion caused a major injury to his right leg.
He바카라 사이트檇 become one of the most severely injured of the 11,000 casualties of the conflict. He was taken to Gaza바카라 사이트檚 Shifa Hospital, where Palestinian doctors were able to stabilise him, but he was critically ill.
His condition was deteriorating when a team of NHS doctors arrived, working with the British charities and , as part of an emergency humanitarian response project funded by the UK government.
바카라 사이트淚f the MAP team hadn바카라 사이트檛 come when they did, I바카라 사이트檇 be dead바카라 사이트� says Abdullah.
바카라 사이트淚 didn바카라 사이트檛 have much time left.바카라 사이트�
Abdullah and his fianc茅e at home in Gaza, 4 months after his operation. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
Dr Graeme Groom, an orthopaedic surgeon from King바카라 사이트檚 College Hospital in London, was one of the team who were deployed to Gaza.
They quickly realised that, sadly, the only way to save Abdullah바카라 사이트檚 life was to amputate his leg completely at the hip. It was a complicated operation that had never been carried out there before.
Four months later, it바카라 사이트檚 nothing short of remarkable that Abdullah is able to calmly relate his own story.
바카라 사이트淲hat happened, happened. I cannot change it바카라 사이트� he says.
바카라 사이트淪ometimes I can바카라 사이트檛 help feeling upset. But one should also be happy. I still have a big future ahead of me.바카라 사이트�
Dr Naveen Cavale from Kings College Hospital. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
Dr Naveen Cavale is another member of the team who first treated Abdullah last year. He바카라 사이트檚 a plastic and reconstructive surgery specialist, also based at King바카라 사이트檚 in London. His first visit to Gaza was in September 2014, shortly after the ceasefire.
바카라 사이트淎bdullah was probably the most severely injured patient we came across on that first visit바카라 사이트� says Naveen.
바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 great to see him doing so well now. He바카라 사이트檚 back at home, he바카라 사이트檚 looking healthy and gaining weight again.
바카라 사이트淚바카라 사이트檓 came to Gaza because this is where the need was.
바카라 사이트淥n one night alone in July there were over 200 casualties, 70 of whom needed major surgery.
바카라 사이트淭here are a lot people here now who need reconstructive surgery and ongoing care. It바카라 사이트檚 good to be working with MAP and IDEALS to try and help some of them recover.
바카라 사이트淲e바카라 사이트檝e also been able to help the medical teams here.
바카라 사이트淏y being able to come back a number of times, by providing some training and some of the processes that we have in London, we바카라 사이트檙e helping to build capacity for the future바카라 사이트�.
9-year-old Weam smiles as she waits to have an operation on her injured leg in Gaza's Shifa hospital. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
Nine-year-old Weam is another of the patients being treated by the British doctors.
She was playing in the garden of her home with her father last summer when a rocket landed on them and exploded. She suffered major injuries to both her legs.
Her left leg had to be amputated below the knee, and now she needs a follow-up operation on her right foot.
Dr Graeme Groom from Kings College Hospital, London, assesses Weam's leg two days after her operation. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
Two days after the operation, Graeme and the team visited Weam again to check up on how she바카라 사이트檚 recovering. Despite the trauma she바카라 사이트檚 been through, she바카라 사이트檚 in good spirits:
바카라 사이트淚바카라 사이트檓 happy because they바카라 사이트檝e removed all the shrapnel from my leg and I feel better now. Before my leg felt very heavy and now it feels free바카라 사이트� she says.
Weam바카라 사이트檚 mother just wants her daughter to get back to normal, like any mother would.
바카라 사이트淚바카라 사이트檓 so thankful to these doctors giving up their time to come here and help the people of Gaza바카라 사이트� she says.
바카라 사이트淭he facilities here are not good, there is not enough equipment and everything, but with these people coming they bring hope.
바카라 사이트淚 hope there will be no more wars making problems for our children.
바카라 사이트淚 just want to see my daughter growing up, continuing her study, playing like other kids and eventually working.바카라 사이트�
Weam and her mum, pictured recovering after her operation in hospital in Gaza. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
The UK바카라 사이트檚 Department for International Development provided a grant of 拢724,500 to Medical Aid for Palestinians, to deliver trauma support and plastic reconstructive surgery for many of those injured in the recent Gaza conflict.
Over 130 operations have been carried out over the past 6 months, and it바카라 사이트檚 estimated that up to 1,000 people in need of secondary reconstructive surgery will benefit from the project.
The project also aims to improve the surgical capacities at the Shifa and European Gaza hospitals. 50 local medical personnel will be trained to develop specialised skills to lead future specialist limb reconstructive surgeries and treatment.
Weam just wants to walk again. Thanks to the medical care of the British doctors, she might just be able to. Picture: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos for DFID
For Weam, it might just mean being able to walk again바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트奱t least if she바카라 사이트檚 got anything to do with it.
바카라 사이트淲hen I grow up I don바카라 사이트檛 know what I want to do, but I like drawing바카라 사이트� she says.
바카라 사이트淚 just want to have the other bit [prosthetic] for my second leg because I want to get walking again. I바카라 사이트檓 impatient to walk again.바카라 사이트�
The MAP and IDEALS project is part of the UK바카라 사이트檚 拢37 million package of assistance in response to the 2014 Gaza crisis.
The UK provided 拢17 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to cope with the immediate needs of those affected by the conflict, and committed a further 拢20 million at the Gaza reconstruction conference in October to support early recovery and reconstruction in the region.
To support Medical Aid for Palestinians, visit:
To support IDEALS, please visit: