Following the arson attack by Israeli settlers last week which resulted in the tragic death of an 18-month-old Palestinian toddler and his father, and left his mother and brother facing a year in intensive care, MAP spoke to the head of the MAP-supported Rafidiya Hospital Burns Unit who initially treated the family, Dr Anas Abu Safa.
“The hospital called me at 3am and told me that we have three serious burn cases, among them a child and mother and father. Within five minutes I was in the hospital, and the family were already in the Intensive Care Unit” says Dr Anas. The condition of the family was severe, with the mother and the father suffering approximately 75 percent third-degree burns to their body, and the mother suffering inhalation injuries. The surviving child also had approximately 60 percent burns. “We did the primary care for the patients, working on them for approximately five hours performing escharotomies and IV accesses before they were transferred.”
“Dalia, the Israeli woman dealing with the referrals, called to say that they would send a helicopter to transfer them. We have the capacity and skills to treat such patients, however at the time the accident happened we were already overstretched with two other very severe cases. One patient suffered electrical shock and is still in ICU, the other had flame burns of her clothes that caught fire while cooking. They both needed multiple operations and a lot of dressing. We are only 6 nurses and a surgeon.”
Since their transfer to the Israeli hospital, the father has since died from his injuries and the condition of the mother and brother remains serious. The director of the Tel Hashomer Hospital has said they may need to spend a whole year in the Intensive Care Unit. Dr Anas believes, based on the extent of their injuries, that they will have life-long, severe disabilities and will need ongoing therapy and operations.
In addition to settler violence, the occupation in the West Bank poses other threats to the health and wellbeing of Palestinians living there. The previous week, Dr Anas had treated a 13 year-old boy who had hand trauma and burns to his face and arms after picking up an unexploded non-lethal grenade, possibly an IDF stun grenade, which went off in his hand. The presence of checkpoints can also delay patients from reaching the hospital for treatment.
MAP has been supporting the Rafidiya Burns Units since 2011, renovating and equipping the unit and helping to develop a Palestinian national protocol for burns care. MAP continues to provide disposables and training for Rafidiya, and is currently in the process of establishing a sister unit at the Alia Hospital in Hebron to serve Palestinians in the Southern Governorate.
You can support our ongoing work with Burns Units in Palestine by donating here.