Between the two beds of intensive care and displacement, the stories of the two children, Omar Abu Yousef and Mays Muammar, intersect, to shorten the tragedy of thousands of sick children in the Gaza Strip, who are besieged by diseases and besieged by the closure of the crossings, in a scene where the suffering is progressing on any Horizon for treatment or survival. In a hospital in the Gaza Strip, the 9-month-old baby, Omar Abu Yousef, is the only child of his family, and he has been facing a serious health deterioration from the moment he was born. He did not know a normal childhood age; From his early days, he suffered from a congenital intestinal obstruction that prevented him from leaving his natural exit, forcing doctors to make an “vascular” opening in the abdomen to save his life. However, the tests later revealed the absence of neurons in the anus, as opposed to their presence in the anastomosis area, which made its condition more complex. Anastomosis is a surgical opening that arises in the abdominal wall, through which part of the intestine (minor or large) is removed, to drain the stool or gases when there is a congenital or pathological defect that prevents natural excretion through the anus. In a video story, reported by journalist Amr Tabash, the mother says that her son Omar’s suffering did not stop there. Because of the blockage, his little body was throwing waste through the nose, in a rare and serious medical condition, which soon caused him to lose large amounts of fluids, and a threat. College jobs. With the severe shortage of medical devices and diagnostic materials inside Gaza hospitals, doctors were unable to complete the accurate examinations or specialized surgical intervention, warning that any additional delay may lead to kidney failure or fatal complications. Doctors confirm that Omar is in urgent need of an urgent referral for treatment outside the sector, as the capabilities are available to perform the necessary operations, but the closure of the crossings turns this emergency medical need into an open waiting for the unknown.
In the intensive care unit of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, six-month-old Mays Muammar is waging her own battle against illness, hunger, and the siege. Mays was born weighing just 1.4 kilograms, a result of her mother’s malnutrition during pregnancy, a consequence of the starvation policy implemented during the war on the Gaza Strip.
Mays was born with Down syndrome, severe malnutrition, a hole in her heart, and a congenital defect: a single kidney with stones, according to her father, Murad.
With bitterness, as he watches the monitoring equipment surrounding his frail daughter, he says her condition is deteriorating daily, as medicine and medical supplies have become unavailable. “In Gaza, people are literally dying because of the lack of medicine,” he laments.
Mays’s story is inseparable from the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where some 1.5 million displaced people live in tents and shelters lacking even the most basic necessities. Despite the end of large-scale military operations, the humanitarian situation has not witnessed any real improvement, as aid continues to enter in limited quantities that do not exceed a quarter of the actual need, while Israel continues to close the crossings and reduce the entry of medicines and medical supplies.
