The United Arab Emirates has mobilized all its health sector resources since the onset of the crisis in Gaza, enhancing humanitarian and relief responses for injured and sick Palestinian brothers, and supporting them in their critical circumstances. This effort is part of the humanitarian operation "Noble Knight 3," ordered by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to support the Palestinian people in the region.
The UAE health sector has demonstrated its high readiness to address the medical challenges arising from the deteriorating situation in Gaza through three main pillars: establishing field hospitals, transferring critical and difficult cases to hospitals within the country for treatment, and intensifying the dispatch of medical supplies of various kinds to strengthen the health sector's capabilities in Gaza.
The UAE's efforts in treating injured and sick Palestinians have received high praise and appreciation from the people of Gaza, who affirmed that these initiatives represent a sincere expression and a unique model of solidarity and cooperation among brothers during times of crisis.
### Field Efforts
In December of last year, the integrated UAE field hospital in Gaza began providing medical services to the region’s residents, employing specialized and qualified staff across various medical fields, in addition to medical volunteers.
The hospital has a capacity of 200 beds and is equipped with operating rooms capable of performing various types of surgeries, including general and pediatric surgery, vascular surgery, as well as intensive care units for adults and children, an anesthesia department, and specialized clinics including internal medicine, dentistry, orthopedics, psychiatry, family medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology, in addition to supportive medical services.
Additionally, the hospital offers CT scans, x-rays, and pharmacy services, and is equipped with a laboratory containing the latest devices necessary for conducting diverse tests and analyses, enhancing its capability to provide comprehensive treatment according to the best global standards and protocols.
As of April 28, the hospital had completed over 1,517 major and delicate surgeries and dealt with more than 18,000 cases requiring medical intervention from the hospital team to provide necessary treatment and care, beginning with first aid, followed by essential surgeries to save lives, provision of necessary treatments and medications, and ending with intensive care for those cases, as well as consultations and medical services.
The UAE field hospital in Gaza began fitting prosthetic limbs for the injured who lost their limbs during the catastrophic events in Gaza, announcing it would deliver 61 prosthetic limbs to injured individuals in several phases, with each phase involving the installation of prosthetic limbs for 10 individuals, along with physical and psychological rehabilitation.
The hospital has achieved significant milestones in performing complex surgical operations; for example, the team of doctors successfully removed a 5-kilogram tumor from the abdomen of a patient suffering from severe pain and serious health complications for years.
To bolster its efforts in relieving the people of Gaza and supporting the healthcare provided to them, the UAE sent a fully equipped floating hospital off the coast of El Arish, Egypt, in February to provide the necessary medical support to Palestinian brothers.
The floating hospital, established in collaboration with the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Ports group, comprises a medical and administrative team of 100 from various specialties, including anesthesia, general surgery, orthopedics, and emergency care, as well as nurses and specialists in supportive medical fields.
The hospital has a capacity of 100 beds and is equipped with operating rooms and intensive care units, radiology departments, laboratories, pharmacies, and medical warehouses, along with an evacuation aircraft, a medical evacuation boat, and ambulances equipped with the latest medical devices to enhance the response to emergencies and critical cases requiring swift medical intervention.
The floating hospital serves as an additional step complementing the UAE field hospital’s role in Gaza, strengthening the medical support system provided by the UAE to the affected population in order to alleviate their conditions, as it has been furnished with the best and latest equipment.
### Treatment in the UAE
The UAE president directed the hosting of 1,000 individuals from Gaza suffering from cancer, across various age groups, for treatment and healthcare in UAE hospitals. He also ordered the welcoming of 1,000 Palestinian children along with their families from the region to provide all types of medical and health care needed in the country’s hospitals until their recovery and return home.
As of April 27, the UAE had received 16 batches of injured Palestinian children and cancer patients, who have been provided with the highest levels of treatment and healthcare in several hospitals across the country.
The "Emirates Humanitarian City" hosts the families of Gaza currently in the UAE for treatment or accompanying their sick relatives, providing them with comprehensive services and exceptional care, while also organizing numerous activities and initiatives aimed at entertaining their Palestinian guests and supporting them emotionally and psychologically to ease their suffering and create all necessary conditions to expedite their recovery.
### Urgent Medical Aid
Medical and health supplies represent a major component of the total urgent humanitarian aid that the UAE has provided to the Palestinian brothers in Gaza since the crisis began, totaling more than 31,000 tons as of April 29, through 250 airlift operations, 40 airdrops, 1,160 trucks, and three ships.
Following the directives of the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation pledged in January to provide around AED 37 million (USD 10 million) to support the health sector in Gaza, helping it to provide essential medical supplies for the population, particularly for children amid the difficult conditions the region is experiencing.
The UAE has sent ambulances equipped with all necessary equipment to Gaza as part of its efforts through "Noble Knight 3" to support the health sector’s requirements and meet the increasing demand for transferring critical cases to the UAE field hospital, as it is one of the main hospitals providing comprehensive emergency and treatment services for injured and sick Palestinian brothers.
