“We operated in unsterile settings that would’ve been unthinkable in the United States. We had limited access to critical medical equipment: We performed amputations of arms and legs daily, using a Gigli saw, a Civil War-era tool, essentially a segment of barbed wire. Many amputations could’ve been avoided if we’d had access to standard medical equipment.”
Column Summary: Surgeon’s Account of Gaza Mission Reveals Humanitarian Crisis
Dr. Irfan Galaria, a Virginia-based plastic surgeon, volunteered with MedGlobal in Gaza for 10 days in January 2024. He describes witnessing “annihilation, not war” at the European Gaza Hospital, which was overwhelmed with over 1,000 patients despite being designed for 300.
Working 14-16 hours daily performing 10-12 surgeries, Galaria operated amid constant bombing in unsterile conditions with Civil War-era tools. Most patients were civilians bombed in their homes, requiring shrapnel removal and amputations that could have been prevented with proper equipment.
He treated multiple orphaned children and witnessed families with single sniper shots to the head after returning home when Israeli tanks withdrew. The surgeon expressed guilt over leaving while millions remain trapped, noting American tax dollars fund weapons injuring his patients.