"Clinic of the Poor": The Hope of Displaced Patients for Treatment Amidst Rubble and Destruction

SadaNews Report - With the ongoing displacement and suffering in the Gaza Strip, thousands of citizens have found themselves in camps lacking the most basic necessities of life and healthcare. This has led doctors to launch a humanitarian initiative from a small tent in the Maghazi camp in Gaza City, turning this tent into a nurturing station for patients and providing them with treatment after hospitals were destroyed and the healthcare system in Gaza collapsed due to the war.

A Small Tent Transforms into the Hope Clinic for the Displaced

Dr. Farij Mahna, director of the "Clinic of the Poor," said in an interview with SadaNews: "When we saw the catastrophic conditions citizens in Gaza are living under due to the lack of treatment and medical supplies, we witnessed people's suffering. We decided, along with a group of doctors, to open a small tent providing basic healthcare services. The clinic then evolved due to the significant need and the increasing number of patients."

Significant Needs Drive Expansion

Mahna emphasizes that the medical staff is striving to develop the clinic and expand its services, urging international and humanitarian organizations to support this project to ensure its continuity amidst the absence of nearby health centers and the difficulty of reaching hospitals.

Treatment Services and Minor Operations in Exceptional Conditions

Volunteer doctor Mai Al-Nahwi stated: "We opened this clinic to provide general healthcare services and to perform some minor surgeries for the displaced due to the difficulty of reaching hospitals like Al-Aqsa Martyrs and Al-Awda. We aim to develop it into a larger center that serves everyone."

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The clinic includes a number of volunteer doctors, each working within their specialty to serve citizens who have been deprived of treatment with simple and limited resources... but behind it lies a strong will.

Testimonies: "Clinic of the Poor" as a Lifesaver for Patients

Patient Feryal Hamida, who is receiving treatment at the clinic, told SadaNews: "I suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes, and I follow my treatment here at this clinic because it is the closest medical center; it is the only medical point providing treatment for us, and the hospitals are far away, and I cannot reach them due to the lack of transportation."

Meanwhile, patient Mayada Aran stated to SadaNews: "I follow my health condition inside the Clinic of the Poor because it is nearby, and the workers there are specialists who provide care with confidence and sincerity."

For the displaced, this clinic represents a glimmer of hope in light of the tragic health reality that the sector has reached, as the majority of hospitals and care centers have gone out of service due to destruction, leaving only about 13 hospitals still operational out of more than 38, in addition to 7 field hospitals out of 15.

This report was produced with support from the European Union.