Doha: Sidra Medicine, which plays an important role in providing speciality healthcare services to young patients from Gaza, has cared for more than 170 children since December 9, 2023. The specialised children’s hospital offers several services and support to these patients including specialised care and services tailored to their unique needs. Many of the children who are poly-trauma cases, have been referred to receive multiple care services including orthopaedic, plastics and neurosurgery following outpatient care including physical and occupational therapy, an mental health support.
As of June 2024, Sidra Medicine had 170 paediatric patients in inpatient and outpatient settings, the majority coming in for outpatient follow-up care. On December 3, 2023, Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a directive to treat 1,500 wounded Palestinians, in addition to sponsoring 3,000 orphans from the Gaza Strip. Sidra Medicine is one of seven hospitals in Qatar that care for young Gazan patients; it plays a vital role in triaging paediatric patients before their arrival to ensure they are placed in facilities with the required clinical expertise.
It has set up a dedicated 22 bed ward for the patients from Gaza. Through collaboration with humanitarian organisations and government agencies, Sidra Medicine facilitates the transportation and integration of patients into its healthcare system. The hospital’s Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr.
Ahmed Al Hammadi serves as the national paediatric lead for the programme to enable a standardisation of care for all the children coming in from Gaza. Dr. Mansour Ali, Chair of Surgery at Sidra Medicine, who also went on an early mission to bring in severely injured children from the Rafah-Egypt border to Qatar, said: “Most of the children who were initially admitted were those with poly-trauma as they had sustained multiple injuries and required life-saving speciality surgical interventions and procedures done.
In addition to this, we also received young children with chronic diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, who also needed critical care. "The most important role we played during this time was the multi-disciplinary approach to care for critical cases. For instance, not only did we set up specialised treatment protocols for the children, we also had the ability to include two to three specialist surgeons in a room to immediately perform a surgical procedure.
The same approach was also extended in our follow-up and outpatient care programmes for all of the patients.” In a report published in January 2024, Unicef estimated that around 1,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both their legs — equivalent to 10 children losing legs every day. Dr.
Mansour continued: “Many of the children who arrived with amputated limbs required further life-saving treatment, medication and rehabilitation. Not only did our teams seamlessly work to ensure the children’s journey of care was smooth, we also worked closely with other clinics such as plastics, pain management as well as with HMC’s prosthetics programme to ensure they received well-rounded support.” Until May 2024, Sidra Medicine conducted 202 surgeries across different specialities; this includes 59 plastic surgeries (for children with burns and scarring), 51 interventional radiology procedures, 26 orthopaedics, 22 ENT, 19 general thoracic surgeries, and 14 neurosurgeries.
Dr. Mansour continued: “The combined effort between all the hospitals in the country who were involved in the patient care programme is commendable. This would not have been possible without the efforts of the Government of Qatar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health.
We pulled all-stops as a country and as a healthcare network to ensure every patient coming in and their families received the best care possible and to feel a sense of safety and community.” Mayar, 9, arrived at Sidra Medicine on April 8, 2024 from Gaza via Egypt, having sustained a head injury from a blast. She underwent a right-sided craniotomy for shrapnel removal and required intubation for a period of time.
Mayar was under medical follow-up, including neurology, due to her risk of seizures. Upon discharge she continues receiving care at Sidra Medicine, including occupational and physical therapy, as well as mental health support. Mayar resides in Doha with her mother and three siblings.
Hamad, a 12-year-old arrived at Sidra Medicine in December 2023 after sustaining a shrapnel injury to his abdomen. He underwent emergency surgery, including a laparotomy, colostomy, and stoma creation. Following a period of recovery, Hamad underwent a successful colostomy closure on May 9, 2024.
He is currently residing in Doha with his mother while continuing his recovery process. Ongoing care at Sidra Medicine focuses on proper wound management, pain assessment, and monitoring for potential complications..
