UAE field hospital staff donate own blood to help Palestinians in Gaza

Hospital's director tells The National 'Emirati blood has mixed with Palestinian in one vein'

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Staff at the UAE’s field hospital in the Gaza Strip have been donating their blood to help provide critical medical aid to civilians affected by the Israel-Gaza war, The National can reveal.

More than 48,000 injured Palestinians have been treated at the 200-bed complex in Rafah city since it opened in December.

As part of the UAE's Gallant Knight 3 operation, it continues to provide care for those injured in the war.

Dr Sultan Al Kaabi, the hospital's director, told The National the medical team had conducted five donation campaigns to provide blood to hospitals across the enclave since it opened.

“The Emirati blood has mixed with the Palestinian blood in one vein,” he said.

Dr Al Kaabi said his team were determined to continue delivering services to alleviate the dire healthcare situation in the region, offering much-needed support to civilians caught in the crossfire.

“We received 48,704 patients and conducted 1,773 surgeries. Our goal is to provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza. We are here to offer our expertise and resources to save lives and improve the health conditions in this critical time,” Dr Al Kaabi added.

The Emirati doctor, 47, who has spent more than six months working at the hospital, expressed immense pride at being able to "serve my brothers in such difficult situations".

“You feel pride knowing you've helped many patients in these critical times," he said.

“Many people who leave the hospital after treatment come back to thank us and the UAE for what we have done.”

World-leading technology

The field hospital, which was swiftly assembled by a team of medical professionals and support staff, is equipped with advanced medical technology and supplies.

It specialises in general and orthopaedic surgery and offers anaesthetic services and intensive care for children and adults. It also provides internal medicine, dentistry, family medicine and psychiatric treatment.

Launched after an order by President Sheikh Mohamed after the bulk of Gaza's hospitals were destroyed or left in a state of dysfunction, the state-of-the-art medical complex has the capacity for most types of complex surgery to be carried out, as well as intensive care units and wards, Dr Al Kaabi said.

"We can receive 200 people for trauma and general cases. We have a pharmacy, lab, blood bank and have added a neurosurgery and physiotherapy department," he said.

“We also have a department for mental and physical rehabilitation.”

There is also capacity for people to be fitted with prosthetic limbs, Dr Ak Kaabi said. He explained that the hospital is equipped with SpaceX's Starlink internet service to provide live video medical consultations to patients.

The use of Elon Musk's high-tech satellite system helps healthcare workers deliver crucial care in an area where communications have been cut.

“We added the service to co-operate with Emirati hospitals and specialists from different countries,” he added. "We get consultations about certain cases that we don’t have speciality [for] here in Gaza to provide the best treatment.

As the hospital grew, the Emirati team built storage areas for equipment and medicine that can last for more than 60 days.

The hospital also provides support and medical aid to other hospitals in Gaza, as most are on the brink of collapse.

Saving lives

Dr Al Kaabi has saved many lives but one particular case touched his heart.

“A young man came after a strike and he'd lost two lower limbs. We saved his life after amputating his legs,” he said.

Having previously told Dr Al Kaabi he would rather die than live without the use of his legs, he later thanked the medic for his team's life-saving care.

“He told me he is very happy to walk again to help his mother and family. That was my reward for helping people,” Dr Al Kaabi said.

The doctor, who is a father of three boys and one girl, said his family support him on this mission and his mother calls him regularly to provide encouragement.

“My mother is always telling me to do my job,” he explained. "She keeps telling me that they will take care of my family back home, but I need to stay and help people in Gaza. They are very proud that I’m here."

More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, with 90,147 injured in Gaza since the war began on October 7, after Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages.

The war has driven about 80 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes – with many displaced numerous times – and destroyed apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools.