A Brief Conversation with Illinois Radiologist Dr. Imran Qureshi

AMMG: Why are you heading to Gaza?
IQ: The Gazan civilians are incurring tremendous difficulties. Without access to electricity, food, and medical care, many of the injured are not getting proper care. It is my hope--along with the rest of the IMANA medical relief team--to help the situation in any small way that we can. We feel that we can use our training to provide some relief (albeit small) to the existing medical infrastructure. Our secondary goal is to draw attention to the medical situation in Gaza and inspire subsequent teams to follow suit and volunteer their services.

AMMG: Even with the cease fire, Israeli troops remain in Gaza and the possibility that hostilities resume looms. How are you handling the risks associated with going into a war zone?

IQ: As a team, we are informing the State Department and the Egyptian Ministry of Health about our services. We do understand that this does not guarantee our safety and we will have to use common sense to stay out of danger. Nevertheless, the team understands that there is an inherent risk to entering Gazan territories despite the ceasefire.

AMMG: How can other Americans support you in your mission to aid suffering civilians in Gaza?

IQ: The team would first like to encourage other volunteers to follow suit. Nurses, paramedics, and physicians are all in need. Secondly, medical supplies are of the utmost importance. Without the appropriate supplies and medicines, care will be limited at best. Thirdly, basic needs such as food, clean water, and electricity are in need. Of these, we would like to see food and water available to not only patients, but all citizens.

Dr. Imran Qureshi is an interventional radiologist from Naperville, Illinois and serves as Medical Director of Interventional Radiology at Rush Copley Hospital in Aurora, Illinois. He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1999.