Doctor in Gaza says hospital running out of essential supplies
Dr Victoria Rose said medics at the Nasser Hospital have been forced to water down cleaning fluid and have been economical with anaesthetics.
She described this practice as "brutal" but acknowledged it as a necessity.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Rose described the situation at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza yesterday following an attack near an aid distribution centre in Rafah.
More than 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in southern Gaza near a humanitarian aid distribution site run by a US company, according to local health officials.
Witnesses said the Israeli military had opened fire as Palestinians gathered to collect food in Rafah.
The Israeli military denied it had fired towards civilians.
Dr Rose said by midday yesterday medics at the hospital had received 28 dead bodies and declared five people dead in the emergency department.
She added that there were more than 200 gunshot wound victims.
"We know there were more involved in the incident than we actually treated," she said.
Dr Rose said that there had been a huge number of children coming in with significant, disfiguring and life-changing injuries.
She said children make up at least 50% of the operating list.
"Essentially these children have been blown up and are missing bits of their body...it's quite upsetting," she said.
She added that due to a loss of fat and muscle bulk in their body, they are smaller and thinner, with malnutrition affecting the immune system and healing.
She said that with infection setting in in children, it is progressing to life-threatening sepsis which is avoidable and would not happen in the Western world.
Dr Rose said that she is leaving Nasser Hospital tomorrow, adding that after she leaves there will be no plastic surgeon at the hospital until July.
She said it is difficult knowing that her chances of being let back in to Gaza may have gone right down due to media coverage.
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