Medical Aid To Gaza

OK. Here's something positive we can do while we wait for this increasingly stupid war to end.

I received this email below from my friend Charlie Lior, fellow ex-kibutuznik, and in Charlie's case, a IDF veteran of the first Lebanon War: another war that was designed to "end Palestinian terrorism once and for all" ( and it even had pretensions to "regime change" - in Lebanon in that case.)

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Dear friends,

Since the beginning of attacks in Gaza three days ago, over 370 people have been reported dead, more than 1700 wounded, and many hundreds more are in need of immediate medical attention. With a medical system already on the verge of collapse as a result of the ongoing closure, 1.4 million civilians are in desperate need of urgent medical help from outside Gaza.

Palestinian doctors and nurses are providing health care including performing surgeries without gloves, local or general anesthetics, gauze, sterilized equipment or sufficient oxygen for patients. All together, there are only 1,500 hospital beds available in Gaza's 13 publicly run hospitals. A fleet of 60 ambulances is now reduced by half. The endless flow of new wounded and the need for beds has led to a suspension of care for dozens of other patients, including cancer, cardiac, and other chronically ill patients, who have all been sent to their homes for the duration of the crisis. Patients are not being permitted entry to Egypt and all referrals out of Gaza via Erez crossing have been suspended.

The actions of the Israeli government have made it very difficult to provide any assistance. However, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR-Israel) has the means to transfer this help within days and is seeking to raise $700,000 during the next week for purchase and direct transfer of supplies to Gaza hospitals.
Palestinian hospitals in the Gaza Strip have asked for help in securing the following items:

Basic Sterilization equipment
Needles
Dressings
Anesthetics
Catheters
Medical gases
Endo-tracheal tubes
Laryngoscope
Oxygen
Portable monitors, ventilators, ultrasounds and x- ray machines
Clothing for medical teams
105 Essential Medications
225 Additional Medical Supplies
93 Laboratory items
Electric Shaving Machine
Trolleys
Hospital beds

Medical Aid for Palestine is collecting donations to forward to Physicians for Human Rights – Israel for the Gaza Emergency medical campaign. You can donate to MAP through their website at http://mapcan.org/english.html. When you are on the donation page, specify Gaza Emergency. You can also call MAP at : (514) 843-7875 to make a donation.

For additional information on the current health crisis gathered by Physicians for Human Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Gaza) and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) on the current crisis click here http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=652&catid=55&pcat=-1&lang=ENG.

For more information, please contact Gila Norich, Director of Development: gila@phr.org.il or by phone, +972.3.5133.102

To contact Ran Yaron, Director of PHR-Israel's OccupiedPalestinianTerritory (oPt) Department send mail to: ranyaron@phr.org.il, or call +972.547.577696.

Thank you for your support,

Charlie Lior
for Together fundraisers