MANAMA: Twenty Bahraini and expatriate medics have been shortlisted for a volunteer mission to the Gaza Strip.
They will be divided into teams and the first delegation will fly out as soon as they receive consent from authorities concerned in Egypt and Palestine, said Bahrain Medical Society (BMS) president Dr Mohammed Al Rafea.
“We are ready to leave anytime as we have the necessary approvals from the Bahraini authorities, including licences from the Social Development Ministry,” Dr Al Rafea, a surgeon, told the GDN.
“We await a clearance from the authorities outside, who should give us a signal on the situation being clear to travel and reach Gaza.
“We are the authorised team under the BMS who will represent Bahrain in Gaza.
“As doctors it is our primary responsibility, in line with our oath, to serve humanity and those suffering and this is what is making us take up this mission.”
The first delegation will comprise Dr Al Rafea, anaesthetist and intensive care specialist Dr Tariq Al Shorbaji, emergentologist Dr Mohammed Jibril, general surgeon Dr Suhair Al Saad, consultant gynaecologist Dr Amal Hassani, internist Dr Mohammed Al Jamal and orthopaedic specialist Dr Waseem Saqer.
Dr Al Rafea said many from the profession, including Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Palestinian and Jordanian medics living in Bahrain, have volunteered to treat thousands of injured Palestinians in Gaza.
They include a psychiatrist, a pharmacist, two cardiologists, a vascular-surgeon and nurses.
“We will be selective on sending medics, which will be on need-base and in batches,” he explained.
“As of now, the requirement is for doctors who can treat casualties like bomb injuries and burns, traumatologists and anaesthetists – mainly from the surgical branch of medicine.
“Most of the doctors on the list are experienced and have been on humanitarian service trips, including Gaza and Syria, in the past.
“General medicine specialists are not needed to go now, but might be required in future.”
He explained that the society’s disaster and relief committee had drawn up plans to ensure support was available in case of shortage of medics.
“We have four lines of people operating – the first and second lines are doctors who will be in the forefront treating the wounded, while the next two lines will be assisting on logistics and administrative needs,” he said.
“Once we reach there, as per directives we will serve in hospitals we are directed to. We are ready to serve anywhere and anyone.”
He added that their teams would enter Gaza through the Rafah border because travelling across the Jordanian borders would be difficult.
The GDN earlier reported that at least eight Bahraini medics were also expected to travel to the Gaza Strip this week on a privately funded trip to help those injured in the Israeli offensive.