Hospital near Gaza Strip sees mass influx of patients after attacks
- Israel declared war after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Saturday
- Hospital near Gaza saw around 800 patients in the first 36 hours of fighting
- Doctors, nurses kept going even after family, fellow staff members killed
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(NewsNation) — Women and children in pajamas with gunshot wounds. People who walked for miles with open cuts.
These are just some scenes described by Dr. Roy Kessous, deputy general manager of the Soroka Medical Center in Israel. That hospital is near the Gaza Strip, which was a central location of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attacks Saturday. Israel declared war later that day.
In the first 36 hours after fighting broke out, at least 700 to 800 people came into the Soroka Medical Center to be treated for gunshot wounds or shrapnel injuries. Right now, the hospital has the resources to treat these victims, and it is prepared if there is another wave of patients — but the violence is ongoing.
Some doctors and nurses kept working, even after learning they had lost members of their own family. There were even medical center staff members who died in the initial attack.
That hasn’t stopped staff at Soroka from working long shifts, trying to save lives. Cots have been set up in the hospital for those few moments when they can get sleep.
“In Israel, we have never seen such horrific and mind-blowing numbers of patients that arrived by the minute,” Kessous said.
While the carnage is like nothing he has ever seen, the stories of resilience are what Kessous is focusing on.
