American Medical Mission to Gaza

New Haiti Blog

2010-01-22T18:53:00.005-05:00

Please visit the newly created IMANA-Haiti Blog for further articles and posts regarding the current relief mission in Haiti. Many team members of the Gaza 2009 relief mission are also helping save lives in Haiti.

URL: http://www.imana-haiti.com/

Register to Volunteer

2010-01-21T23:44:00.002-05:00

IMANA Relief Haiti Volunteer Form is now available online.

Click here to volunteer.

Dedicated Doctor Saving Lives in Haiti

2010-01-21T23:40:00.002-05:00

Michelle Stuhr of KPTH 44 News (Sioux City, IA) reports:

Text by Erika Thomas of KPTH:
(SIOUX CITY, IA) A powerful 6.1 magnitude aftershock rocked Haiti Wednesday, a week after the first deadly earthquake. Still, St. Luke's Emergency Room physician Rick Colwell is packing his bags for the island. The dedicated doctor who goes in as everyone else gets out.

Dr. Rick Colwell is no stranger to packing - Haiti will be his third trip abroad to help victims of devastation.

"You have kind of a sense of what, how much you can do. You always leave feeling like you didn't do enough," says Dr. Rick Colwell.

As part of IMANA - the Islamic Medical Association of North America - Dr. Colwell saved lives after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and in Gaza last year.

"You walk away from there but they don't. Whether you help them or save them, they're still there," says Dr. Colwell.

He will now use those experiences, along with eight other IMANA doctors, to help people fighting to survive in Haiti.

"I think the hardest part will just be the great human tragedy," says Dr. Colwell. "You want to get right in there and save the world today but it doesn't generally happen like that."

A lead group returned Tuesday night after working through the initial devastation.

"But smaller, more flexible organizations can get right into the community and start helping people right away," says Dr. Colwell.

This second wave of doctors will have to fight infection to save lives.

"You try to help everyone. And you try to save the ones that you can," says Dr. Colwell.

It takes a special person to run in when everyone else is running out. but one person can make a difference, no matter how big or small.

"Everybody has something to give," says Dr. Colwell.

Dr. Colwell and his team leave Sunday and will return home on Saturday, January 30th.

For more information about IMANA or to donate to Haitian relief efforts: http://imana.org/.

Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@kmeg.com.

Friend her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ErikaThomasTV.

Sioux City Doctor Headed to Haiti

2010-01-19T19:39:00.003-05:00

KTIV Channel 4 of Sioux City reports:

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - A Sioux City doctor is answering the call for relief in Haiti. Rick Colwell leaves for a six day mission to the earthquake ravaged region on Sunday.

The trip will mark Colwell's third humanitarian effort overseas. He went to Gaza in 2009. He also visited Pakistan in 2005 after an earthquake struck that region.

Colwell is the only mid-west member of the Islamic Medical Assistants of North America, a group comprised of E-R docs like himself, as well as an anesthesiologist and even a plastic surgeon.

He's traveling to Haiti to help more than just the emergency needs of earthquake victims.

"In a country as poor as Haiti, you have a lot of chronic illness. Those people are still sick, the ones that lived, they're still sick. They have no where to go," he explains.

Colwell says getting to Haiti is a "logistical nightmare" for groups like his. It's important for them to be set-up ahead of time so they don't become part of the problem when they arrive.

Luckily, humanitarian groups are closely connected and they were able to find a permanent relief camp in Haiti that will allow them set-up their own base.

AMMG Called On Again to Aid Haiti

2010-01-19T15:45:00.003-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Completing Successful Humanitarian Mission to Gaza: AMMG Called On Again to Aid Earthquake Victims in Haiti

Washington DC (Jan 5, 2010) – Completing a successful mission to Gaza last year to medically assist with the humanitarian crisis left by war in the region - American Medical Mission to Gaza (AMMG) is once again deploying physicians to aid humanitarian efforts - this time to the island nation of Haiti after recent earthquake devastated the country.

“We are learning that the type of injuries that Haitians have sustained are not different from those that of the Gazans received from the military assault last year.” Commented Ismail Mehr, Anesthesiologist from Hornell, New York who is also leading the mission.

“A lot of the cases we have heard about - crushed limbs that require amputation, infections that need treatment and other medical necessities are all specific type of medical services that we provided in Gaza last year because of the air-strikes.”AMMG has assembled a group of physicians - providing medical resources in the form of care, assistance and advocacy to help those in needs. The group has been deployed to several nations including Pakistan, Indonesia and recently to the war torn region of Gaza.

Multiple AMMG physicians have already been deployed to Haiti, having arrived on January 17th and including Dr.Irfan Galaria.

Physicians will be rotated every ten days in groups - with the second team being lead by Dr. Ismail Mehr departing on January 24th.

AMMG is collaborating with Islamic Medical Association of North American (IMANA) and consolidating resources to fully maximizing humanitarian efforts.

“We have experience working under difficult circumstances and are very familiar with the type of injuries reported and feel we can contribute substantively to the humanitarians efforts on the ground in Haiti. Its not only our obligation as Muslims - but our duty as fellow human beings."

You can follow Dr. Ismail Mehr and the rest of the AMMG team on their mission at: http://ammgaza.blogspot.com/

Help contribute to the humanitarian efforts: http://www.imana.org/

More Information about IMANA at: http://www.imana.org/

AMMG in Haiti

2010-01-18T02:10:00.002-05:00

At press time, AMMG has several physicians on the ground in Haiti, helping provide medical assistance to those affected by the devastating earthquake a few days ago. They are working in conjunction with IMANA Relief and other aid organizations. Details to follow.

Technical Difficulties

2010-01-18T02:07:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately due to reasons beyond our control, the blog was offline for the past few months. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

Doctor Shares Experiences of Gaza Relief Work

2009-10-27T20:47:00.000-04:00

Lily Oberman of the Ithacan Online reports:

Dr. Ismail Mehr, an anesthesiologist for St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y., traveled to Gaza in January 2009 to give aid to its citizens following attacks on the city. Mehr shared his experience and showed slides of his relief work tonight in a presentation called “Gaza’s Dilemma.” The event was sponsored by Ithaca College’s Students for Justice in Palestine, who also brought Mehr to Ithaca College in April.

Beth Harris, associate professor of politics, said she thought the presentation was educational.

“I hope that people who come tonight will get a different picture of what’s going on in Gaza,” she said.

Andrea Levine ’09, who helped bring Mehr to the college in April, said she thinks Mehr’s presentations are always eye-opening.

“Mehr doesn’t just talk about the normal effects of war,” she said. “He educates the public on not just the effects of the attack, [but] normal everyday health problems [of the region].”

Mehr began the presentation by giving a brief history of Palestine. He then showed slides, many of which included his own photos from his 10-day trip to Gaza, providing narration of his trip as he went along.

Mehr traveled to Gaza after a three-week- long war in which Gaza was attacked. The trip was sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association of North America, an organization that Mehr is a member of.

“[The president of IMANA] said the board of directors wanted to try to put a team in Gaza to help provide medical aid,” Mehr said. “I had been on multiple missions before, and they asked me if I would lead this team.”

Mehr had been to places such as Pakistan and Indonesia following natural disasters to provide aid. He said he didn’t hesitate when asked to go to Gaza.

“There was no internal struggle at all,” he said. “I felt that if I said ‘No,’ I would be breaking a promise to myself that if I ever had the opportunity to go and do relief missions again that I would.”

Mehr then gathered a team of 11 doctors, along with two others who helped organize the trip. The group arrived in Gaza on Jan. 22.

“[When] we arrived there, we saw convoys and trucks and aid and people from Portugal, from Cuba, from Canada, from Germany, from the Netherlands, South Africa,” Mehr said. “They’d been waiting there for days and [kept] being turned away.”

The AMMG were denied entrance on the first day, after being told that no more doctors were needed in Gaza and that the borders were closed for the day. Finally, a member of the group called someone who worked at the border and enabled the group to sneak in.

Mehr then showed photographs of destruction that he took when the group entered the city.

“These photos are one-dimensional,” he said. “The destruction was all around us.”

Out of the 13 hospitals in Gaza, five were destroyed in the attacks and many others were damaged. The AMMG went to work in the Shifa Hospital, the only untouched hospital.

Mehr said the hospital was lacking even basic supplies and that the majority of people his group treated were dealing with routine illnesses, such as pneumonia and diabetes. They also worked with cancer patients who could not receive chemotherapy because of the blockade. Some of the slides that Mehr showed included photos of a jaundiced 4-year-old with liver cancer being treated by doctors and a football-sized kidney of a boy whose kidney should have been smaller than a fist. Mehr said he particularly wanted to work with children because he has two young children at home.

In their free time, the AMMG went to the local orphanage. Two doctors from the group stayed at the orphanage over the course of the entire 10-day trip, giving routine health checks to the children. Mehr shared a story about a man who routinely visited the orphanage and returned to visit the children the day after his house was destroyed and his family killed.

“That story got to me,” Harris said. “No one should have to have this kind of resilience.”

Rachel Gunderson ’09 said the presentation was laid out in an effective way.

“Some of the stories were gruesome, but it was influential,” she said.

Mehr said he hopes people walk away from his presentation with the ability to form their own opinions about the politics of the Gaza region.

“I hope they are able to go, read and learn about the realities of Palestine in general,” he said.

5/21/09 Coverage

2009-05-21T14:31:00.003-04:00

Catholic peace workers, medical supplies denied Gaza entry

Aid workers on hunger strike after Gaza entry refused

Gaza healthcare under seige (Al-Jazeera video)

Dr. Mehr's Speech in Ithaca NY (Part 2)

2009-05-11T18:09:00.002-04:00

Gaza’s Dilemma: Dr. Mehr at the 1st Unitarian Church annex

Dr. Mehr's Speech in Ithaca NY (Part 1)

2009-05-02T12:00:00.001-04:00

Gaza’s Dilemma: Dr. Mehr at the 1st Unitarian Church annex

Painted Post NY to Have Gaza Awareness Event

2009-05-01T23:33:00.002-04:00

Dr. Ismail Mehr will present a talk with slides of his American Medical Mission Trip to Gaza on

Thursday May 7th
7pm at the
First Baptist Church in
Painted Post, NY

Dr. Ismail Mehr's presentation
~ “Gaza's Dilemma” ~ will cover the medical and humanitarian aspects of Gaza as it relates to the recent war & the effects of the 20 month embargo.

Dr. Mehr is a board certified anesthesiologist and Chairman of the Department at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell NY. He has been an active member of IMANA (Islamic Medical Association of North America) for the past 7 years and a member of the humanitarian medical relief committee.

Following the Gaza war last December and January, Dr. Mehr was called upon by IMANA to be the coordinator as well as team leader. Please join us to learn about Dr. Ismail Mehr's humanitarian medical relief work in Gaza, his first experience in a war torn region.

Before his trip to Gaza, Dr. Mehr was fortunate enough to go to Indonesia shortly following the devastating tsunami of December 2004. In addition, he traveled to northern Pakistan in October 2005, when an earthquake rocked the region. He was the team leader for the first IMANA relief team and oversaw the relief efforts for the next several months acting as the North American Coordinator.

Corning Vicinity Faith Communities,
Peaceful Gatherings and the
Southern Tier Interfaith Coalition
are sponsors of this event.

4/30/09 Coverage

2009-04-30T09:31:00.002-04:00

Gaza devastation 'absolutely shocking' says Glasgow MSP

UN: Asbestos in war-torn Gaza a health hazard

18 residents allowed back in Gaza after medical treatment in Libya

Gaza injured to be treated in Lahore Pakistan

Contaminated drinking water in Gaza

Al Jazeera video

4/22/09 Coverage

2009-04-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

Aquaculture Project: Brazilian Aid to Gaza Strip

UN experts to investigate environmental damage

People in Gaza struggle for water

Gaza, remember?

Sick in Gaza struggle to find medical attention [VIDEO]

Gaza Strip Perspective - Dr. Ismail Mehr

2009-04-21T23:03:00.001-04:00

WHCU News Talk 870 AM (Ithaca NY) interviews Dr. Ismail Mehr:

2200+ Orphaned After Assault

2009-04-19T00:47:00.001-04:00

Al Jazeera video

4/16/09 Coverage

2009-04-16T18:31:00.002-04:00

Aid rots while blocked from Gaza

Penetrating the laws of war

Norwegian doctor's presentation on Gaza attack leaves Chicago audience 'shell shocked'

Egypt seizes $2m aid meant for Gazans

Hope for Gaza Convoy: Updates

Gaza patients demonstrate near Gaza-Egypt borders

Al Jazeera video

Gaza Event at Rochester Institute of Technology

2009-04-16T18:22:00.001-04:00

The Campus Antiwar Network will host a presentation by Dr. Ismail Mehr, "Gaza's Dilemma", on May 6, 2009 at 8pm at the Rochester Institute of Technology Wallace Library; as well as a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War for a forum titled, "Eyewitness to Occupation."

Dr. Mehr, in conjunction with the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), and his team of 12 doctors from the American Medical Mission to Gaza traveled to Gaza just as Israel's initial military siege ended. He lead the only American delegation of doctors and witnessed countless cases of inhumane living conditions and medical inadequacies. Since returning, Dr. Mehr and his team have traveled the country sharing their photos, videos and experiences about life under siege in Gaza.

Aside from his work as an anesthesiologist in Hornell, NY, through IMANA Dr. Mehr has traveled to other disaster zones in recent years including Pakistan and Indonesia.

After the presentation, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War will speak to their experience of occupation and its impact on the lives of people each day. There will then be time allotted for discussion.

This event is open to the public.

Sponsored by the RIT Social Action Group, a chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network.

For more information, directions, and parking details: please email admin@thesitch.com or visit the AMMGaza website at AMMGaza.com

NYU to Host Gaza Event Tonight

2009-04-15T10:34:00.001-04:00

Ibn Sina presents:

The Healthcare Crisis in GAZA

What: American Medical Mission to Gaza

When: Wednesday April 15th @ 6:30pm

Where: Coles 109 NYU Langone Medical Center
550 First Avenue (between 30th and 34th on 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10016

Come join Ibn Sina: The Muslim Student Association at NYU Med this
Wednesday April 15th at 6:30pm for an enlightening talk about the
healthcare crisis affecting the war-struck area of Gaza. Dr. Kanwal S.
Chaudhry, who recently went on a medical mission trip to Gaza, will be
sharing her experiences and telling the stories of the lives and the
conditions of the people in the area. We hope you will join us to not
only see the terrible conditions that have plagued Gaza since the
recent war, but also to hear about how we, as future physicians, can
help out in less fortunate areas throughout the world through similar
medical relief efforts.

Kanwal S. Chaudhry, M.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the
Department of Emergency Medicine at Kings County Hospital Center,
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New
York. She is double board certified in Pediatrics and Emergency
Medicine and is part of the Islamic Medical Association of North
America.

FOOD WILL BE SERVED! Please come join us.

Contact abbas.anwar@nyumc.org or kanwal.merchant@nyumc.org if you have
any questions

Gaza Event at Ithaca College

2009-04-14T18:36:00.002-04:00

Gaza's Dilemma
Dr. Ismail Mehr of the American Medical Mission to Gaza

April 15 2009
4-630 PM
Friends 205
Ithaca College

Ithaca NY

Sponsored by Students for a Just Peace and Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

There will be a double feature in Ithaca on April 15. Read the second event listing here.

Children Scarred by War

2009-04-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

PressTV video

Videos of Dr. Mehr's Talk on Gaza

2009-04-10T18:57:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of Adriano Contreras (The Sitch)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The Sitch Features Video of Dr. Mehr's Talk

2009-04-10T01:22:00.004-04:00

Ream Kidane of thesitch.com reports

Dr. Ismail Mehr led the only American medical mission to Gaza in late January. Since his return he has been speaking all over the country about the medical needs of Palestinians, the devastation of Israel’s recent attacks, and the people he encountered and became friends with during his stay.

Dr. Mehr is a member of the American Medical Mission to Gaza which seeks to report the medical and humanitarian observations of American doctors traveling to the Gaza strip. Visit the AMMGaza website to find out more about the organization, how you can help as a citizen and as a doctor, and to schedule interview or ask more information from its members.

Video link

4/9/06 Coverage

2009-04-09T08:12:00.002-04:00

Audio slideshow: homeless in Gaza

Little hope in Gaza aftermath

Aid convoys to be sent from Scotland and Italy

More US Congressman visit Gaza and recognize crisis, urgency to act

Red Crescent Authority says aid obstacles must be removed

Ron Kovic and George Galloway launch Viva Palestina US

Testimonial of a Gaza Medic

2009-04-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Al Jazeera video

Gaza Event in Chicago IL

2009-04-07T20:18:00.002-04:00

Dr. Imran Qureshi to present on his trip to Gaza earlier this year.

The Fourth Presbytarian Church
8am sharp
Breakfast will be served
(312) 787-4570

126 E Chestnut St (intersection of Chestnut and Michigan Avenue)
Chicago, IL
Entrance is on Chestnut Street

Sponsored by Downtown Islamic Center-Chicago and the Fourth Presbytarian Church

Ithaca NY to Have Event for Gaza

2009-04-07T00:52:00.002-04:00

GAZA'S DILEMMA is the title of a talk by Dr. Ismail Mehr

Wednesday, April 15
7:30 in the Annex of the First Unitarian Church
208 E. Buffalo St
Ithaca, N.Y.

Dr. Mehr, an anesthesiologist from Hornell, NY and an active member of the Islamic Medical Association of North America, has led IMANA medical relief teams to several different disaster areas in recent years. Last December and January he headed a humanitarian aid team to Gaza. His talk will cover the results of that war and also the effects of the 20-month embargo on Gaza.
All are invited.

Sponsored by the Social Justice Council's chapter (now in formation) of UU's for Justice in the Middle East (www.UUJME.org)

Directions & Parking: The Seneca Street Parking garage is only a block from the Unitarian Church annex. The entrances are on Tioga Street and East Seneca Street. Click here for a map. Please note that the event will be held in the meeting hall upstairs, above the Stepping Stones pre-school

4/6/09 Coverage

2009-04-06T12:48:00.003-04:00

Rights groups: Gaza medical workers harmed

Irish expat couple moving to Gaza as volunteers

Lebanese singer to have Gaza aid concerts in Paris

Brit makes journey to deliver supplies to Al-Wafa Rehab hospital

4/4/09 Coverage

2009-04-04T09:52:00.002-04:00

U.N. official pleads for opening of Gaza borders

600 Gaza patients still denied access to treatment abroad

Al Jazeera video

UMass-Amherst to Host Gaza Event

2009-04-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

On April 10th, Dr. Ismail Mehr of the American Medical Mission to Gaza will be speaking at the Umass Amherst Campus Center Auditorium. He traveled to Gaza with a team of American doctors only a few days after Israel completed “Operation Cast Lead”, in which 1300 Gazans were killed and 5000 wounded in an aerial assault and land invasion. Dr. Mehr will speak about his experiences during his ten day stay in Gaza, treating the wounded from that war, and what he observed.

Friday, April 10, 2009
7:30pm - 10:00pm

UMass Amherst - Campus Center Auditorium
Email: umassmsa@gmail.com

Muslim Students Association! (MSA)

4/2/09 Coverage

2009-04-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pope to offer aid to Gaza Strip

Convoy of imams, rabbis and priests bring aid to Gaza

3 months on - relief aid continues for Gaza’s families

PressTV video

InFocus News Reports on Ahmed Kasem and Dr. Ismail Mehr

2009-03-31T21:41:00.007-04:00

Physicians, lawyer on relief mission to Gaza

Mona Shadia of InfocusNews (Anaheim CA) reports

GAZA STRIP, Gaza City — Dr. Ismail Mehr’s Gaza relief trip wasn’t his first. He has been on relief missions to places like Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami and Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake that shook the country’s capital.

But there was something especially disturbing about the anesthesiologist’s recent Gaza trip.

"You can answer the questions about the Tsunami or the earthquake, it’s an act of nature," Mehr said. "But when a kid asks you in Gaza, you can’t answer this question, because this shouldn’t be happening, because it’s a man-made conflict. And it was difficult to accept as a physician."

Mehr was one of nine doctors who traveled to the hard-hit Gaza after the last Israeli strike that ended the lives of many innocent men, women and children.

On this relief mission was Ahmed Kasem, a Costa Mesa lawyer, who traveled along with the doctors to interpret for them.

The trip was sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association of North America, a nonprofit organization with members who travel to war-torn and disastrous areas to assist with relief efforts.

Mehr, who’s a member of IMANA, was asked to coordinate the trip. At the time Israel invaded Gaza, Kasem was visiting Egypt. From there, he worked to get through the Egyptian border and to get authorizations for him and the rest of the doctors to enter into Gaza, which was very difficult, he said.

"To get through the Egyptian border, you had to be persistent," he said. "There was a Turkish group there, and it took them five days to get there. It took us one day."

The doctors and the lawyer began planning their trip before the ceasefire went into effect. But the team made it there a few days after. Once there, they spent a week in January performing surgeries and helping those who were affected by the war and others who suffered from chronic illness. About 75 surgeries were performed on patients during their visit, Mehr said.

Along with those who were affected by the war and needed immediate help, there were hundreds who suffered from chronic diseases that went without treatment because of the embargo that has been imposed on Gaza for more than two years.

The Israeli-imposed embargo keeps the Palestinians in Gaza isolated by land, sea and air.

Kasem recalled the story of a child with a tumor that grew to the size of a ball due to lack of medical equipment and treatment in Gaza.

"The medical infrastructure is almost nonexistent, not because of the war but because of the embargo," Mehr said. "People are dying every day because of things that can be prevented."

For Kasem, whose trip was the first-ever to a war-torn area, being there was also especially striking. "It was kind of surreal going in," he said. "The Palestinian issue is central to international politics and to the U.S. foreign politics. When I got there, I felt like we were at the center of the conflict. It was surreal. But there was also so much life there. When you strip away all the man-made things, there’s life."

And with all of their troubles, Kasem said, the people in Gaza were not bitter, even though he had not met anyone who had not lost a loved one. This, he said, was the good part of his trip.

But the sad part for Kasem extended beyond seeing the lost lives and the damage the war caused.

"It was going into a place where these people are demonized. I felt really heartbroken," Kasem said.

And although they stayed for one week, the doctors and IMANA have committed to further helping the medical situation in Gaza.

Mehr said they have three goals to reach: Relax the borders to help humanitarian teams enter into Gaza, help build the medical infrastructure and train the doctors.

Kasem said everyone knows the United States is the biggest financial supporter to Israel. So, at the end of the day, "as a U.S. citizen, you should have the right to know what’s going on. Especially at a time when the entire economy is struggling, why shouldn’t people care about what’s being done with their money?"

100,000 Homeless in Gaza

2009-03-30T21:09:00.001-04:00

Al Jazeera video

3/29/09 Coverage

2009-03-29T17:02:00.002-04:00

France calls for lifting of embargo

Phillipines gives aid to Gaza

Bahrain to train Gaza doctors

Syracuse University to Host Gaza Event

2009-03-27T19:30:00.001-04:00

Grief in Gaza: A Doctor's Story

Featuring Dr. Ismail Mehr

7-830PM
March 31, 2009
Hall of Languages
Room 207
Syracuse University

Sponsored by the MSA

Gaza Children Search Trash For Survival

2009-03-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

PressTV video

3/26/09 Coverage

2009-03-26T19:00:00.001-04:00

Churches in Wales use coffee to raise funds

Israel says it will allow macaroni into Gaza

Saudi Arabia agrees to send $20M for Gaza via UN programs

Armless child struggles for better life in besieged Gaza

Palestinians in Gaza have no meat to eat as chicken prices hike

MUST SEE VIDEO: Medics, Ambulances and Hospitals Targeted

2009-03-25T23:26:00.002-04:00

Under attack: how medics died trying to help Gaza's casualties

The Shorthorn Reports on Dr. Mehr's Talk in Texas

2009-03-24T15:26:00.007-04:00

Doctor speaks about visit to Gaza, says Israeli embargo must be lifted

Taiba Sheerin Ahmad of The Shorthorn (University of Texas at Arlington) reports:

Dr. Ismail Mehr said relaxing the Gaza border’s embargo for humanitarian teams is a priority during his March 13 lecture.

Mehr is one of 10 physicians who visited Gaza on a humanitarian medical mission in January. He is the head of anesthesiology at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y. The Muslim Student Association’s UTA chapter organized the lecture.

“It took us about seven days to get in,” he said. “The borders, on both Israeli and Palestinian side, were not open even to humanitarian teams.”

Mehr offered a brief history of the conflict to help students understand the situation better.

“I had little knowledge about the Palestine-Israel conflict,” engineering junior Pranusha Ravula said. “But Dr. Mehr helped me understand the history well.”

Mehr helped at Gaza City’s Shiffa Hospital.

“There are 13 [government] hospitals in Gaza,” he said. “Two were completely destroyed and numerous were shot and attacked.”

Mehr said novocaine (local anaesthesia), chemotherapy and other medical tools were hard to get into Gaza because of the embargo.

“Nothing will be resolved until the blood of a Palestinian will be respected as much as that of an American,” he said.

Mehr told a story about a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with liver cancer who was denied exit to Israel or Egypt to get treatment.“

There is no chemotherapy in Gaza,” he said. “He would have had a better chance if this embargo allowed him to exit to get treatment.”

Mehr told stories of young children suffering because of lack of medical equipment in Gaza.

“In Gaza, medicine is improvisation,” he said. “This embargo has crippled and choked the medical system.”

A child who fell at home and cut his lip was held down by his mom and stitched, without pain relief, he said.

In Gaza, they don’t use novocaine on a child because there’s no telling how long it might take to get more due to the embargo, he said.

Mehr encouraged Americans to send more humanitarian teams to Gaza.

“Gaza is the largest open-air prison,” he said passionately. “The dilemma is that the rest of the world just sits there and watches.”

The team of 10 physicians visited an orphanage affected by the conflict.

“There were 3,000 new orphans due to this conflict,” he said. “There were some kids diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because they saw their parents die.”

Mehr said it’s hard to achieve peace until the new settlements being built every year on the West Bank stop.

“The Palestinian people will stand up and be strong every day,” he said. “They are the most hospitable and the bravest people I have ever met.”

Mehr provided help after the 2004 tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005.

“Tsunami and earthquake were acts of mother nature,” he said. “But with the Gaza situation, you cannot really answer the question why another person did this.”

Mehr asked students to read about the conflict and create awareness.

“History ends up being ‘his’ story,” he said. “It’s not political but if anyone had a human touch, they would stand up for these civilians.”

Mehr’s stories brought tears to some students’ eyes.

Biology junior Mohammed Ali said that he thought the presentation showed reality, and he wished other cultures had attended to increase awareness.

-------------

CORRECTION: It actually took the AMMG team over one day to cross into Gaza, not seven.

Arab Talk Features Dr. Imran Qureshi

2009-03-23T20:50:00.007-04:00

Arab Talk co-hosts Jess Ghannam and Jamal Dajani of KPOO 89.5 FM (San Francisco) report:

Gaza Fishing

2009-03-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Al Jazeera video

3/22/09 Coverage

2009-03-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

War-hit children struggle to lead normal life

Dubai Cares assists UNRWA school children in the Gaza Strip

Gaza children search for garbage

Gazans suffer as rebuilding effort stalls

PressTV video

This Week in Palestine Features Dr. Ismail Mehr

2009-03-21T18:19:00.004-04:00

Radio host Sherif Fam of This Week in Palestine reports:

After the Storm

2009-03-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

Traveling

2009-03-20T12:40:00.002-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

Presentation On Efforts to Help Gaza

2009-03-20T00:00:00.002-04:00

Susan L Wagner of the Wayland (MA) Town Crier reports:

WAYLAND - More than 200 people gathered recently at the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland for a presentation titled "Gaza: An Eyewitness Account, Raising Awareness and Funds." The speakers were Drs. Ismail Mehr and Kanwal S. Chaudhry, members of the American Medical Mission to Gaza (AMM Gaza), which visited the Strip in late January, and Yousef Abdallah of Islamic Relief USA.

The AMM mission was the only group of American doctors up to that time to enter Gaza to provide medical assistance after the end of the hostilities of Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009, with Israel. Their first attempt to enter via Egypt was refused by the Egyptian authorities who control parts of the border. They were finally able to slip in quietly on Jan. 24, staying until Jan. 31.

Mehr, chief of anesthesiology at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y., was the leader of the team, and Chaudhry, a member of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Kings County Hospital in New York City, was the only woman in the group. Their "base camp," according to Mehr, was al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

During regular working hours, he said, he was assigned to the operating room, providing anesthesia to surgical patients. Chaudhry said she worked in both the medical and pediatric ERs, did rounds in the pediatric wards, and helped out in the operating room when necessary."I also went to the orphanage and did ‘well child checks’ there," she said.

In the afternoons and evenings, Mehr said, "Patients and family members would find us, and so we went to see them and make decisions to get them to the right people on our team to be taken care of."

According to both doctors, the medical crisis in Gaza is acute.

"The people there are suffering tremendously," Chaudhry said. "This is not only because of the most recent ‘Israeli offensive,’ but from the embargo that has been imposed on the Strip for the last 18 months. This does not allow anyone to enter or exit the Strip … and this is causing a slow grueling death among the people. They are not able to receive humanitarian aid, medications (such as chemotherapy), specialty trained health personnel, etc."

Mehr was taken aback at the amount of improvisation that was needed to treat the sick and wounded.

"I have been to third-world countries on medical relief before, and you always have to improvise," he said, "but not to this extent. We did treat acute burns, amputees, and so on, which we were expecting. But what we were not expecting were the children with cancer, the elderly with kidney failure, and middle-aged diabetics who cannot get insulin. These are issues that are fairly treatable and could be managed by a medical system."

The medical system in Gaza, he went on to say, needs a complete revamping and, for this, it is very important for physicians to be allowed into the Strip "unequivocally" for training purposes."It’s like in Iraq, where local troops are being trained to take over. In Gaza, it’s the local doctors and medical workers who need to be trained," he said.

Proceeds from the Islamic Center of Boston event went to Islamic Relief USA, which is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar campaign to benefit the people of Gaza.

Briar Cliff University to Host Gaza Event

2009-03-19T13:00:00.001-04:00

Step Into the Promised Land
Unpacking Israel and Palestine

- Hear an ER doctor's (Rick Colwell) experiences in Gaza
- Listen to a Palestinian peace advocate
- Get a local expert's perspective on Israel and Palestine
- Learn about negotiations as a path to justice

7PM Thursday
March 26

Saint Francis Center, Briar Cliff University
Sioux City IA

Sponsored by Briar Cliff University Peace and Justice Committee and Siouxland Peace Coalition

3/18/09 Coverage

2009-03-18T22:47:00.004-04:00

Egypt opens border for 2nd time in 2 months

UNICEF report on Gaza crisis

Gazans struggle for clean drinking water

Medical dispatch from on the ground in Gaza

To Gaza and Back

2009-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Chicago Crescent reports

Muslim American doctors help heal Palestinians

After spending eight days in war-torn Gaza, Dr. Imran Qureshi, an interventional radiologist from Aurora, feels "eye-opening" is an understatement to describe his experience. From understaffed and substandard medical equipment to fragmented buildings standing amidst rubble, the team of Muslim doctors saw first-hand what the world's largest outdoor prison looked like.

"I follow the news but I had no understanding of how bad the situation really is," Dr. Qureshi said in an interview of the Chicago Crescent. "But it was amazing to see how resilient the Gazans are about changing their condition."

As expected, Dr. Qureshi performed procedures beyond what he is used to here in Chicago. The team had to perform surgeries with limited anesthesia and very little monitoring. What they had not expected was how hospitable the Palestinians were. They has expected to survive on protein bars but patient's families and others took care of many of their meals. Even though the hotel room doors did not lock, their belongings remain untouched. They were also surprised as to the high regard the Palestinians held Muslim-American doctors.

"Even though 36 doctors and a jumbo jet of supplies from South Africa landed the same day as us, we were given the hero's welcome," Dr. Qureshi said.

Antiwar Group Features Dr. Ismail Mehr

2009-03-16T20:00:00.001-04:00

Ream Kidane of the SocialistWorker.org reports:

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--Over 50 people packed the First Unitarian Church March 6 to hear a panel discussion featuring Dr. Ismail Mehr from the American Medical Mission to Gaza (AMMG), and local antiwar activists.

In conjunction with the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), Dr. Mehr and his team of 12 doctors from the AMMG traveled to Gaza just as Israel's initial military assault ended. Since returning, Dr. Mehr and his team have traveled the country sharing their photos, video and experiences about life under siege in Gaza.

Dr. Mehr's presentation began with a history of Israel's expansion from the early 1940s through its settlement expansion that continues to this day, displacing and expelling the native people all along the way. His photos and video of bombed-out apartment buildings, shot-up medical rehabilitation centers, schools, hospitals and mosques exposed the claim of "Israel's incredible restraint" as a cruel joke.

If the bulldozed cemetery, destroyed Palestinian parliament building and pastures filled with slaughtered livestock were not horrific enough, the crippling effects of Israel's two-year-old embargo and blockade brought many in the room to tears.

Children being held down while doctors stitched up wounds with no anesthetic, simple infections that led to amputation and photos of kidney tumors (a treatable condition in even the poorest countries) grown to the size of footballs due to the lack of supplies and medical equipment reminded us of the slow, agonizing death that many Palestinian men, women and children will face in the coming months.

As the panel continued, Brian Lenzo from Rochester Against War and the International Socialist Organization brought the reasons for the carnage home, with a detailed explanation of the history and ongoing money train, billions of dollars strong, of U.S. government aid that supports Israel's brutality.

Ryan Acuff from the University of Rochester Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and a leading activist from the recently successful campus occupation at U of R, called for a continued mass movement that demands divestment, boycott and sanctions against Israel for its crimes.
The panelists agreed that the coming mobilizations around the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war demanding an end to the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine are the next key step in building that movement.

The event represented a step forward in integrating the movements for justice in Palestine with the antiwar movement in Rochester. It was also a sobering reminder that many more panels, demonstrations, boycotts and occupations will be needed in order to form that movement.

What you can do

Visit the American Medical Mission to Gaza Web site to find out more about the group or to bring Dr. Ismail Mehr and members of his team to your city.

A New Beginning

2009-03-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

Physician to Speak on Gaza

2009-03-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

Ali Mustansir of The Shorthorn (University of Texas at Arlington) reports:

Physician to discuss his experience in Gaza today at UC Concho Room

The Muslim Student Association will host Ismail Mehr’s visit to UTA today where he’ll speak about his experience in Gaza after the conflict earlier this year.

Mehr is one of ten U.S. physicians from the Islamic Medical Association of North America who travelled to Gaza in January after the cease-fire was announced. He administered medical aid to Gazans with serious illness or injury at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Nanotechnology assistant professor, Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor and the Muslim Student Association Faculty Advisor Samir Iqbal, said he looks forward to hearing about Mehr’s experiences.

“[Mehr] will be speaking with no political connotation and no religious connotation,” Iqbal said, “What is the human situation there?”

Iqbal said he expects people with very strong and differing opinions to attend.

State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said that Mehr has an important message and that he plans to attend. He said that Mehr is doing the charity work the Quran calls him to do and shows the importance of people being ready to step in to help.

“[Mehr] is a great example of a professional person who gives their skill freely to help others,” Burnam said.

According to the IMANA Web site, their mission is to provide a forum and resource for Muslim physicians and other health care professionals, to promote a greater awareness of Islamic medical ethics and values among Muslims and the community-at-large, to provide humanitarian and medical relief, and to be an advocate in health care policy.

The American Medical Mission to Gaza reports on the humanitarian and medical observations of the physicians who traveled to Gaza.

When: 3 p.m.
Where: University Center Concho Room

3/13/09 Coverage

2009-03-13T00:45:00.001-04:00

Financial cost of Israel's offensive on Gaza approaches $1.9 Billion

Israeli airstrikes continue to haunt Gaza children

UN Video

Gaza Event in Dallas TX

2009-03-12T14:49:00.003-04:00

Dr. Ismail Mehr – Islamic Medical Association of North America volunteer in Gaza

Hear the experiences of this medical doctor who practiced in Gaza for a week after the Israeli invasion. Dr. Mehr, a physician from New York , is one of the few Western witnesses to the bombing.

Reception @ 615-730PM
Presentation @ 745PM

University of Texas-Dallas
School of Engineering and Computer Science
South Building
TI Auditorium 2.102

The closest parking to the Engineering School is Lot J, adjacent to the Activity Center , across Drive A from the building. The room is directly inside the Engineering School south building – southwest corner of Drive A.
MAP

Sponsored by:
MSA
Dallas Peace Center

Feeling The Emptiness

2009-03-11T20:42:00.002-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

3/11/09 Coverage

2009-03-11T00:08:00.000-04:00

UK aid convoy crosses into Gaza

Boxer Amir Khan helps raise funds for Palestine

Malaysia collects funds for humanitarian relief

British SatelliteNews video

Arlington TX to Host Gaza Event

2009-03-10T22:24:00.005-04:00

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: An American Doctor's Journey in Palestine
"What you did not see on CNN"

Dr. Ismail Mehr, head of anesthesiology at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y. and a member of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), will be speaking at University of Texas at Arlington about his first-hand experiences working in Gaza and treating patients with severe illnesses and injuries. Dr. Mehr is one of ten American doctors that dared to enter the extremely battered city of Gaza in Palestine after the Israeli war ended in January of 2009. Dr. Mehr and his colleagues treated the influx of a dying population in Shifaa Hospital. Please join us as we gather to learn about the untold stories of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The presentation will start at 3:00 p.m. sharp. DON'T BE LATE! Please invite your friends and colleagues to attend this important event.

Friday, March 13 2009
3-5 PM

University of Texas-Arlington
University Center, Concho Room (2nd Floor)
300 W First St
Arlington TX

For more details and RSVP, follow the Facebook link
Email: suhasamihsuleiman@yahoo.com

Sponsored by:
Justice 4 Palestine Social Action Committee [DFW]
UTA MSA
CAIR DFW

Somebody's Home

2009-03-10T12:25:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

Event for Gaza in Hornell NY

2009-03-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

Gaza’s Dilemma
Presented by Dr. Ismail A. Mehr Team Leader, from Hornell

Dr. Mehr led a team of 9 physicians and 2 non medical personnel on a relief mission in Gaza recently. “We were the only Americans in Gaza” said Mehr when asked about other relief organizations and their work. Come join us to hear about what it is like to be in a war zone from the only American who dared go.

Monday March 16th 2009
7pm

Knights of Columbus
251 Main Street
Hornell NY

Sponsored by:
The Hornell Alfred Unitarian Universalist Society (HAUUS) & Steuben County Green Party

MPAC to Host Gaza Dinner in Rochester NY

2009-03-09T23:11:00.002-04:00

MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council) Rochester presents: "American Medical Mission to Gaza" Dinner

An eye witness account by American Muslim Doctors who volunteered their time away from their families to help the sick and wounded at Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Presentations by: Dr. Hafiz Rehman (Pres. IMANA), Dr. Ismail Mehr (Hornell, NY), Dr. Imran Qureshi, Dr. Ahmed Colwell, Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry…

Saturday March 28th, 2009
6:00 pm Sharp!

Turkish Society of Rochester
677 Beahan Rd.
Rochester NY 14624

Tickets:
Adults…….$15.00
Students…..$10.00
5-12 yrs……$8.00
Under 5……...Free

For Information and Ticket Sales Contact:
Pres Bilal Binici 737-0622
V.P. Mesut Vardar 389-3907
Sec. Umaira Khan 662-9559
Treas. Fatih Binici 208-2779
Farzana Razvi 256-0017
Arifa Idris 716-316-9637

Dr. Ismail Mehr Speaks On Gaza

2009-03-09T18:25:00.004-04:00

Ben Dean-Kawamura of Indymedia (Rochester NY) reports:

As soon as I entered the Unitarian Church on Thursday I was told they needed more chairs. I brought the chairs to the room where Dr. Ismail Mehr was presenting on his experience with the Islamic Medical Association of North America, which was overflowing with about 75 people. I took a seat at the doorway and watched him speak.

When I heard Dr. Mehr talk about the suffering and destruction that he witnessed I felt completely devastated. I think the almost everyone in the room was as well. Today I recorded Dr. Mehr talk about his experience in Palestine, click the links below to hear it.

Intro, medical situation in Gaza, effects of the embargo on medical care, children in Palestine Part 1 (ogg) - Part 1 (mp3)

Getting into Gaza, Egypt and Palestine, the effect of war on Gaza, white phosphorous Part 2 (ogg) - Part 2 (mp3)

Leaving Gaza, ways to help, AMMG's future plans Part 3 (ogg) - Part 3 (mp3)

For more information, check out Islamic Medical Association of North America's website as well as the American Medical Mission to Gaza Blog . Dr. Mehr will be presenting twice more in the Rochester area in the near future. Tuesday, March 24, 6:30pm in Brockport. and Friday March 27th, 5:30pm at the U of R.

Sun Sets On Gaza

2009-03-08T20:47:00.001-04:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Ismail Mehr

3/8/09 Coverage

2009-03-08T04:37:00.004-04:00

Doctors struggling to treat Gaza's suffering wounded

Gaza aid promised, but may be a long time coming

'Viva Palestina' aid convoy nears Rafah

Congressmen urge stepped up efforts on Gaza aid

3/6/09 Coverage

2009-03-06T12:30:00.002-05:00

Britain aid convoy reaching Egypt

The Lancet reports malnutrition, stunted growth in children

AFP: Palestinian health system going backwards

Reuters video: Homeless Gaza civilians live in tents

Gaza Event at University of Rochester Medical Center

2009-03-06T09:00:00.006-05:00

The Islamic Medical Association of North America Rochester Student Chapter presents, free and open to the public:

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Featurting eyewitness accounts by American Medical Mission to Gaza physicians Dr. Ismail Mehr, Dr. Rick Colwell & Dr. Imran Qureshi

Friday March 27, 2009
Class of 1962 Auditorium
URMC/Strong Memorial Hospital
601 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester NY

5:30-7:00PM

Co-sponsored by: PHR- Physicians for Human Rights,
MPAC-ROC Muslim Political Action Committee

For more information contact:
President, Imran_Punekar@urmc.rochester.edu
Vice President, Nurain_Fuseini@urmc.rochester.edu
IMANA-Rochester

Gaza Event in Brockport NY

2009-03-05T22:20:00.003-05:00

Mercy in a War Zone
Gaza's Dilemma

In January, a group of American doctors went to Gaza to provide humanitarian relief because they felt they “had to do something.”

Please join us in welcoming the leader of the medical team,

Dr. Ismail Mehr

Dr. Mehr will share his experiences and discuss the reality of war in a way we haven’t seen it before.

Tuesday, March 24
6:30 PM
Edwards Hall Blue Room
The College at Brockport, State University of New York
Brockport NY 14420

This program is proudly sponsored by Students for Peace and Justice

Standing Tall

2009-03-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Rick Colwell

The Spectrum Reports on Dr. Mehr Event

2009-03-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

Amanda Woods of The Spectrum (Buffalo NY) reports:

Benefit instills awareness of suffering in Gaza

Two people who have had extensive first-hand experiences in the turmoil-filled territory of Gaza Strip discussed the graphic scenes they witnessed at Salvatore's Italian Gardens Restaurant on Friday night in conjunction with UB's Organization of Arab Students (OAS) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA).

The event titled "A Benefit for Palestine: Shedding Light on the Atrocities in Gaza," which was co-sponsored by the Western New York Peace Center, was held with the purpose to help promote awareness and fundraise for the people suffering in the Gaza Strip.

Tamera Akarah, president of the OAS, opened the night by explaining the central purpose of the event.

"This event is not only about raising money for the people in Palestine, but also raising awareness," Akarah said.

The two speakers of the night believed that it was extremely important that all be made aware of the violence and suffering in Gaza.

Ismail Mehr, head of anesthesiology at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y. and a member of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) spoke about his first-hand experiences working in Gaza and treating patients with severe illnesses and injuries.

There were once 13 hospitals in Gaza, two-thirds of which were destroyed during the Israeli invasion, according to Mehr. Perhaps the most severe problem that prevents Palestinian patients from receiving proper medical attention is the embargo that Israel placed on the Gaza strip.

"The embargo has caused the medical system to be choked off, so we ended up inheriting children dying of diabetes and cancer," Mehr said. "Because of the embargo, nothing goes into Gaza and nothing comes out."

Mehr pointed out that in Gaza, normal routine illnesses that could have been taken care of anywhere, even in third-world countries, were not being adequately addressed because the proper medications and supplies were not allowed into the region. During his time in Gaza, Mehr found that there was no local anesthesiologist, no monitors to provide anesthesia and no chemotherapy to treat cancer.

The medical world was not the only realm affected by the embargo, according to Mehr. He visited a partially built orphanage, but because the embargo does not allow any materials or building supplies to come in, the orphanage will probably not be completed.

Mehr was shocked to see that basic necessities were being denied entry due to the embargo.

"There is no doubt that Gaza is the world's largest open-air prison," Mehr said.

Mehr explained that one of IMANA's future goals in Gaza is the unequivocal entry of medical and humanitarian teams into the region. However, this can only be possible if the current embargo is loosened or eliminated.

"None of this is going to happen if this embargo remains in place," Mehr said.

The second speaker for the night was Laila El-Haddad, a Palestinian journalist and writer based between Gaza and the United States who reports for the al-Jazeera English web site and the Guardian Unlimited.

Israeli disengagement in Gaza does not better the situation or prevents civilians from suffering, according to El-Haddad.

"Gaza is still occupied after disengagement," El-Haddad said.

El- Haddad used the metaphor of a gerbil cage to relate what Gaza is like even after disengagement. Even if the obstacles are removed, the cage still remains.

"There is no escape and there is no entry," El-Haddad said. "There is nowhere to run to."

In addition to the talks by Mehr and El-Haddad, attendees at the event were treated to a four-course meal. They also bid on various Palestinian-made accessories and decorations during an auction at the end of the night.

People called the event eye-opening, yet enjoyable experience.

Rawey Kased, a junior media study major and member of OAS, believed that the true success of the event lied in the new awareness that many gained of the suffering in Gaza.

"This event was very successful not only because we raised a substantial amount of money for the children suffering in Gaza, but also because it promoted awareness here in America," Kased said.

Another attendee at the benefit, local resident Mehla Abdallah, emphasizes the importance of seeing through the eyes of the Gazans.

"The people need to know what is going on in Gaza. We must speak out and show our love and support," Abdallah said. "All of the money in the world that we raise will never be enough for our country, our love—Palestine."

3/4/09 Coverage

2009-03-04T00:10:00.001-05:00

UN: Aid inflow remains restricted

Donors pledge $3B to rebuild Gaza

14 truck convoy finally granted entry after 18 days of negotiations in Egypt

Article featuring Dr. Qureshi published in a variety of news organizations including Counterpunch.org, Media Monitors Network, CommonDreams.org, Online Journal, Mathaba News Network, Australia.TO, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center, Scoop Independent News (NZ), and many blogs around the world.

Naperville Radiologist Stunned by Gaza Scene

2009-03-03T12:11:00.002-05:00

Elitsa Bizios of Naperville Community Televison, Channel 17 reports:

Dr. Imran Qureshi Tells What he Saw

Naperville radiologist Dr. Imran Qureshi normally doesn’t do without the most modern technology and sterile equipment.

But those standards looked like luxuries in war torn Gaza… the doctor returned from there last month.

With 1300 dead and thousands left homeless Radiologist and Naperville Resident Imran Qureshi says the after math of Israel’s recent military offenses are nothing short of devastating.

Qureshi was one of a team of 9 physicians that went to the Middle East to assist at Gaza’s largest hospital. He says the facility was very run down and far from medical standards we’d expect in the US. The Islamic Medical Association of North America coordinated the trip to Gaza. The nonprofit provides medical and humanitarian aid when possible.

Qureshi and his team were able to help nearly forty people. He says the experience was humbling. He is now working with doctors and congress representatives to try and get medical staff into the now sealed boarders of Gaza.

“A lot of people have never left this small patch of land about the size of Naperville and it just hits you,” Qureshi says. “These people are so isolated from the rest of the world, there’s really no one out there that’s trying to help them.

To learn more about Dr. Qureshi trip visit ammgaza.com

Global Research Article Features Dr. Imran Qureshi

2009-03-02T18:16:00.002-05:00

Medical Mission Heroes in the Middle East War Theater

Sonia Nettnin of Global Research reports:

The Obama Administration should help war and occupation’s victims receive humanitarian assistance, and they should help the injured travel abroad for medical care. Moreover, the Obama Administration should help all medical professionals who travel to war torn areas, so they can care for the victims and train local doctors.
　
Recently, the Human Rights Program of the University of Chicago, Amnesty, along with Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a panel discussion of medical professionals who care for the victims of war and occupation.
　
The panel included: Dr. Ra-id Abdulla, a pediatric cardiologist from Rush Hospital in Chicago, who led several missions to Iraq and Palestine over ten years. As a volunteer, he screened hundreds of children, many who had life-saving, cardiac surgery; and he developed a formal, training program for Iraqi doctors in his specialty. Dr. Scott Eggener, a urologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, is an active member of IVUMed (International Volunteers in Urology). He participated in volunteer educational and surgical missions to Cuba, Honduras, Morocco, Myanmar, Rwanda, and Palestine; Dr. Imran Qureshi, an interventional radiologist at Rush-Copley Medical Center, was one of nine, American doctors who traveled to Gaza after Israel’s “Operation Cast Lead;” and Steve Sosebee, President & CEO of Palestine Children Relief Fund. For nearly two decades his organization has sent over 800 children overseas for surgery and medical care.
　
“I’ve seen the slow deterioration of Gaza over the past, 20 years,” Sosebee said. He explained that the purpose of creating the PCRF was to address the humanitarian needs of kids living under occupation and not having access to adequate health care. His full-time staff identify kids who need surgery and medical treatment relief. “We’ve identified 15 kids to send outside and we can’t get them out…we can’t get Israel or Egypt to permit them outside,” he added.
　
In the recent invasion of Gaza, nearly 6,000 people were injured and over 1,300 people killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Nearly 1,900 of the injured were children and out of the more than 1,300 killed, 410 were children.
　
Sosebee explained that many children who experienced head and neurological injuries live with permanent, brain injuries. Also, children who lost their limbs and are in need of prosthetic limbs and rehabilitative services are confined to wheelchairs now. With permanent disabilities these children have no future because there are no rehabilitative services to provide lifelong assistance for them in Gaza.
　
“We’re trying to do something on a positive level,” Sosebee said. “This is a human issue…we need to use energy in a positive way…surgery, humanitarian aid is an appropriate response.”
　
Volunteer Medical Teams and Humanitarian Aid
　
Dr. Qureshi gave a visual and qualitative, slideshow presentation of his recent visit to Gaza. He showed photos of destroyed civil and residential buildings, including the rubble of the Catholic Relief Services’ medical center. Overturned cement trucks and inoperable, damaged ambulances only prolongs rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
　
On March 1st Human Rights Watch issued the press release: Israel/Gaza: Donors Should Press Israel to End Blockade. They explained: “International donors to Gaza's reconstruction and development should call on Israel to end its punishing blockade of the territory and to allow needed humanitarian assistance and normal commerce to resume.”
　
Their findings have been released one-day ahead of the high-level conference for Gaza reconstruction, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The organization emphasizes that the number of humanitarian and commercial truckloads needed to sustain the 1.5 M people living in Gaza are in-park at the border crossings. Therefore, the number of trucks allowed to cross over the border do not meet the peoples’ daily needs.
　
Last week the media reported the US would be donating US $900 M at tomorrow‘s international donors conference, where US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to speak.
　
Is it Enough? Gaza Stripped, Occupation Remains
　
Out of the 1.5 M refugees living in Gaza, an estimated 100,000 are homeless. They live in a white sea of tents, with 25 people living in each tent. After surviving the recent invasion, these people struggle in cold weather. They do not have heat, electricity, running water, and few belongings.
　
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is supporting an estimated 700,000 Palestinians living in Gaza. In their recent report, “Quick-Response Plan to Restore Critical Services to Refugees in Gaza,” UNRWA estimates their budget needs for January through September 2009 is an estimated $346 M.
　
Is it enough? Qureshi showed photos of the destroyed Palestinian Ministry of Health and Agriculture buildings. As an interventional radiologist, Quereshi’s medical specialties include: biopsies, fibroid embolization, hepatobiliary intervention, as well as vascular and interventional procedures. When he worked in Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, the hospital has a capacity of 80-100 beds. Yet, there were over 400 patients in the hospital. He said the hospital lacked medical equipment and sterile supplies.
　
“I used tape to tape up some of the equipment,” he said, showing the slide of his repairs. Then he showed a slide of modernized, medical equipment - in typical use throughout the US or Europe. The stark contrast was obvious. Without financial, logistical and training aid, Al-Shifa Hospital does not have the resources to modernize itself.
　
Originally, Al Amal Orphan Society had 250 orphans. Now they have 2000 new orphans, with few funds and supplies to handle the influx of kids. A building that was under construction to be a new UN school will house the orphanage. At present, it is a bare, cement floor with pillars supporting the ceiling.
　
Training Local Doctors
Abdulla started going on medical missions to Iraq over ten years ago. Although there are only 42 pediatric cardiology fellowship programs in the US, he was not aware of any Arab country that had formal training for their doctors. As a result, he brought a team of Belgium cardiologists and physicians into Iraq. Together, they developed a formal training program in Iraq, along with a pediatric cardiac center. “I spent a lot of time and effort,” he added.
　
In 2003, the US invaded Iraq. Looters stole medical equipment from the ICUs and set fire to the hospitals. He thought all of the efforts he made over the years had gone to waste. Yet, the important training he provided the Iraqi doctors came to life. They rebuilt their centers.
　
“That’s when I realized the importance of the small contribution I was doing…it was the infrastructure we were able to leave behind, what we were able to teach them,” Abdulla said.
　
Medical professionals of diverse backgrounds have demonstrated that their volunteer surgery and medical initiatives are imperative for the people on the receiving end of war and occupation. It is up to individuals in the international community to continue making contributions that aid people in their time of need.
　
Political leadership’s role is to help victims rehabilitate in every way possible so they can lead normal lives.
　
Our children - no matter who they are or where they are from - should not be left to fend for themselves.
　
Sonia Nettnin is a journalist who writes about social, political, economic, and cultural issues. Her focus is the Middle East.

CNN Video: Civilian Casualties in Hospital

2009-03-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

CNN

Survivor

2009-03-01T20:16:00.002-05:00

Photo courtesy Drs. Labib and Labiq Syed

3/1/09 Coverage

2009-03-01T12:05:00.002-05:00

UK doctor describes medical conditions in Gaza

Japan to pledge $200M relief aid

Getting aid into Gaza is the real issue

Event for Gaza Awareness in Rochester NY

2009-02-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Dr. Ismail Mehr
Talks about his experience with the American Medical Mission to Gaza

Brian Lenzo
Talks about American responsibility for and support of the violence in Palestine

Ryan Acuff
Talks about University of Rochester students efforts to stop University funding of war and occupation

March 6 2009
7PM
First Unitarian Church of Rochester
220 Winton Rd S
Rochester, NY 14610
Map It

Sponsored by Rochester Against War
info@rochesteragainstwar.org

Facilitated by Judith Bello

2/27/09 Coverage

2009-02-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Red Cross calls for easing of border restrictions

European Union chief Javier Solana to visit Gaza

Dubai artists find a way to help Gaza

Al Jazeera video

Doctor to Describe Aiding Palestinians in Gaza

2009-02-27T08:42:00.002-05:00

Maki Becker of the Buffalo News reports:

Dr. Ismail Mehr, an anesthesiologist at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, led a team of American doctors into Gaza following Israel’s incursion into the Palestinian territory late last year.

Tonight, he is scheduled to speak at an event in Salvatore’s Italian Gardens in the Town of Lancaster to raise money for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which is aiding the children of Gaza.

The fundraiser is sponsored by University at Buffalo Arab Students, the UB Muslim Student Association and the Western New York Peace Center.

Mehr said his team of 11 doctors and two nonmedical personnel, many of them members of Islamic Medical Association of America, were the only Americans allowed into Gaza following Israel’s three-week offensive, which began after militants in Gaza fired rockets into southern Israel.

A veteran of treating mass casualties in major disasters, Mehr said being in Gaza was especially disturbing, not because he is a Muslim but because “the whole situation there is a man-made situation, on both sides,” referring to both Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“I’ve gone to Banda Aceh [following the 2004 tsunami], to Kashmir; those are all acts of God or acts of nature,” he said. “But when it’s a man-made conflict, as a human being, a physician, it’s really disturbing.”

Mehr, like other members of the American Medical Mission to Gaza, is adamant about keeping politics out of the work.

“We were purely apolitical— humanitarian,” he said. “We didn’t care who our patients were. You ended up consumed by the situation. We just did our work.”

Mehr’s team was in Gaza from Jan. 21 until Jan. 31.

“Most of our team dealt with trauma and infection of trauma injuries that weren’t taken care of right away,” Mehr said.

He wasn’t faulting the doctors who had been trying to care for the patients.

“When you’re having 200 people an hour coming to your emergency room — there isn’t a hospital in the U. S. that can handle that kind of volume. The injuries included burns and wounds that required amputations,” Mehr said.

Mehr said he couldn’t help but notice what he believed were the consequences of the two-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt on Gaza.

“What really caught us by surprise were the effects of the embargo,” he said. “We ended up taking care of people who were not just injured from the war, but were dying of cancer and chronic illnesses who couldn’t be treated because they didn’t have the medicines and didn’t have the medical expertise.”

mbecker@buffnews.com

Where's My Daddy?

2009-02-26T18:24:00.007-05:00

Hiba Saloum, a 4 year old Palestinian girl has been asking her mother this question since the day her father was killed. Her father, Mohammad, was a hero so to speak. It was afternoon, and the call for prayers had been made. As per his daily routine, Mohammad went to offer afternoon prayers. Few had been brave enough or dared to come out of their homes and offer prayers in a congregation during the recent conflict. I suppose it is very likely that he would have been asking God to help end the endless days of attacks. Little did he know what fate had in store for him.

Those who survived the upcoming deadly afternoon explained that as they were offering their prayers the loud supersonic sounds of approaching F-16 fighter jets were heard overhead. Following a large explosion that had jolted everyone to the ground, the jets unloaded an arsenal of missiles upon the local police station. The police station was completely decimated. Hiba’s uncle, Gibran, who also was in the mosque, described the carnage. I can only picture it in my mind, like a seen from a Hollywood movie. He said there were body parts strewn across the rubble, some people were simply gasping for their last breaths, while others could be heard screaming for help. A scene of utter and total chaos along with despair beyond belief.

Hiba's father and the others who were nearby ran to help their fellow brothers and sisters. As they were scouring through the wreckage helping and searching for survivors, an attack helicopter soon appeared and showered a hail of bullets and rocket fire on the small crowd beneath. Mohammad died helping others that day. I found a tear rolling down my cheek, as Hiba’s mother Fatima and Gibran told me the story. Hopefully one day Hiba can understand that her father died helping fellow man--a hero in my book.

History tends to only record the number of dead, seriously wounded, and the children who are hurt or killed during war. What I noticed, were the ones who are unspoken for. The children, like Hiba, The orphans--regardless if they lost one or both parents. Life is never the same for any child who has lost a parent, but imagine the uphill battle to survive in a war torn region like Gaza. Life is hard enough for the ones who survive year after year, despite the embargo and all its effects. Operation "Cast Lead" left over 2000 new orphans who ask the same questions. These children experience nightmares, bedwetting, and even the loss of control of their bowels--Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an understatement, to say the least.

As physicians we are trained to handle all situations and all types of patients. But I could not find the words to console the children who told stories of seeing their parent’s bodies under the rubble, or bullet-ridden torsos lying in the front yard. The effects of 23 days of bombings and planes flying overhead have taken their toll on many, but it is the children who must live on with such memories, that need us most now.

It is heartening to see surgeons, trauma doctors, pediatricians and critical care specialists volunteer their time but we must not lose sight of the most important part of the body that has taken the greatest blow--the beautiful mind. I applaud my colleagues in the mental health professions that traveled to Gaza and can only hope that the borders are eased so that these heroes of medicine can continue to come, listen, and treat the children. Hopefully they can better serve to help answer questions that many physicians cannot—like that of Hiba: "Where's my daddy?"

Dr. Ismail Mehr is an anesthesiologist from Hornell, NY. He was the team leader for the American medical mission.

Al Quds Hospital

2009-02-26T12:19:00.007-05:00

AFP: Read the story of Al Quds Hospital

Photos courtesy of Drs. Rick Colwell and Shariq Sayeed

Dr Imran Qureshi Selected as CAIR Courage Awardee

2009-02-25T20:08:00.005-05:00

CAIR to honor Hamza Yusuf, Roland Martin, Ahlam Jabra, Dr. Imran Qureshi

Dr. Imran Qureshi is an Interventional Radiologist practicing in Aurora, IL. He completed his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Rochester near his hometown of Dansville, NY. After spending an internship year in Chicago, he completed his Radiology residency at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Qureshi returned to Chicago for a fellowship in Interventional Radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He has been in Aurora for 4 years. Dr. Qureshi joined a group of 9 physicians who traveled to Gaza to on a humanitarian medical mission sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association. While there he performed procedures on multiple patients, including a five year old with cancer and a 9 day old with renal failure. He is currently working with the team to push for a congressional hearing regarding the aftermath of war in Gaza to allow continued medical aid in the region. He has also been a regular contributor to a website put up by the team--the American Medical Mission to Gaza

Chicago Tribune Prints Correction

2009-02-25T12:59:00.002-05:00

Corrections and clarifications, Feb. 25, 2009

February 25, 2009

•An article Friday in the Chicagoland Extra edition gave an incorrect nationality for Dr. Imran Qureshi, a Naperville radiologist who was part of a medical relief team made up of Muslim physicians and surgeons from across the U.S. who traveled to the Gaza Strip. Qureshi is an American-born citizen and the son of Pakistani immigrants. Also, the article incorrectly said Qureshi had never been to the Middle East before. He had never been to Gaza before.The Tribune regrets the errors.

From The Inside Looking Out

2009-02-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Shariq Sayeed

2/24/09 Coverage

2009-02-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Report: US to give $900M in Gaza aid

Children afraid to return to school

Rehab for amputees a long road, at Al Wafa

MSF teams provide follow up surgery

MUST SEE VIDEO: Dr. Rick Colwell in Al-Shifa Hospital (Al Jazeera)

2009-02-23T19:37:00.005-05:00

Download High Resolution version here

Casualty of War

2009-02-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry

University of Chicago to Host Gaza Event

2009-02-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: An Eyewitness Account

Thursday, February 26th
5:30 PM

Ida Noyes Cloister Club
1212 East 59th Street
Chicago 60637
*Hummus and pita from Cedars will be served.

A Panel Discussion with:
Steve Sosebee , Dr. Imran Qureshi, Dr. Ra-id Abdulla, and Dr. Scott Eggener

Steve Sosebee is the President & CEO of Palestine Children Relief Fund.
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund is a non-governmental organization that was established concerned people in the U.S. to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East. See www.pcrf.net

Dr. Imran Qureshi, a doctor at Rush-Copley Medical Center, was one 9 American doctors to go to Gaza after the December/January assault on Gaza.
Team Website
Dr. Qureshi's Personal Travelogue

Dr. Ra-id Abdulla, a doctor from Rush Hospital in Chicago, has led several missions to Palestine over the past several years as a volunteer; screening hundreds of children, many who later had life-saving surgery

Dr. Scott Eggener, a doctor and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, is an active member of IVUMed (International Volunteers in Urology). He has participated in volunteer educational and surgical missions to Cuba, Honduras, Morocco, Myanmar, Rwanda, and Palestine.

Sponsored by: Human Rights Program of the University of Chicago, Amnesty, Students for Justice in Palestine

Contact: afshan1@uchicago.edu

Homeless Crisis in Gaza

2009-02-22T16:24:00.004-05:00

Al-Jazeera Video

AFP Video

Event for Gaza in Downers Grove IL

2009-02-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Islamic Medical Association of North America Dinner Meeting Medical Report on Gaza Health Care Catastrophe Post Ceasefire

Date: 3/4/2009
Time: 6:30 pm to 8 pm
Speakers: Dr. Muhyaldeen Dia, Associate Professor of Medicine at UIC
Dr. Imran Qureshi, Member of IMANA Medical Team to Gaza

Registration: $20/person (free for medical students. Seating limited to 50 attendees - Please RSVP before 2/25/09 to Dr. Naveed Akhtar at nnakhtar@aol.com)

Contact Info: Dr. Naveed Akhtar, President
Chicago Chapter of IMANA
T: 630-932-0000 630-915-3531
E: nnakhtar@aol.com

Ashiyana Banquets
1620 7th Street
Downers Grove, IL

This dinner will feature a medical report on the Gaza Health Care Catastrophe Post Ceasefire (IMANA had sent a team of doctors to Gaza. You can read more about Imran Qureshi's experience at AMMGaza) There will also be discussion of the latest trends in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

2/21/09 Coverage

2009-02-21T20:18:00.003-05:00

US Congressmen Ellison, Baird visit Gaza and recognize need for aid

Over 75% of humanitarian aid unable to make it into Gaza

Czech Republic announces 350K Euro aid to Gaza

Information Clearing House picks up video featuring Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry

Dr. Imran Qureshi on Fox-Affiliate WFLD (Chicago IL)

2009-02-21T13:00:00.004-05:00

Gaza Awareness Event in Bath NY

2009-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Bath group plans dinner, Gaza trip presentation

Staff report • February 20, 2009

The Bath Peace and Justice Group will hold a potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. March 4, followed by a slide presentation at 7 p.m. by Dr. Ismail Mehr, in the Empire Room of the Dormann Library, 101 West Morris St. in Bath.Mehr will describe his recent humanitarian trip to Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli attacks on that territory.

Mehr, who is an anesthesiologist at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, recently led a 10-day medical mission to Gaza sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association of North America.
For more information about Mehr's trip, visit the American Medical Mission to Gaza blog. The event is free and open to the public. Call (607) 569-3564 for more information.

Naperville Radiologist Shocked by Conditions in Gaza

2009-02-20T16:40:00.004-05:00

Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah of the Chicago Tribune reports:

February 20, 2009

As a radiologist in the western suburbs, Dr. Imran Qureshi won't do procedures such as angiograms without the latest technology, monitoring devices and sterile equipment. But those medical standards seemed like luxuries when he spent a week in war-torn Gaza late last month.

The Naperville resident was part of a medical relief team made up of Muslim physicians and surgeons from across the U.S. who traveled to Gaza on the heels of a three-week Israeli offensive that Israel said was meant to halt rocket attacks by Hamas. About 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the conflict.

Qureshi, who is Palestinian but had never been to the Middle East, spent seven days in Gaza with 10 other U.S. doctors organized by the Lombard-based Islamic Medical Association of North America.

"It was a broken-down medical care system," said Qureshi, 35, who practices at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. "Compared to what we have here, it was very primitive."

When they crossed from Egypt into Gaza, a cease-fire between Israel and the ruling Hamas party had been in place for just five days. Buildings were scarred with bullet holes and missing walls, and mosques had lost their minarets. Inside Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, doctors were putting in 20-hour days treating people injured during airstrikes and fighting, or lacking proper care for long-term ailments.

The visiting doctors reset bones, treated people for gunshot wounds and changed dressings for burn patients, sometimes seeing burns all the way to the bones—a possible sign of white phosphorous, Qureshi said.

The physicians did other work that was not directly related to the latest conflict. They did reconstructive surgery, removed kidney tumors, surgically created access portals for dialysis patients—complex procedures that few, if any, physicians in Gaza were able to perform, Qureshi said.

He put his interventional radiology skills to use, demonstrating procedures for local doctors and working on patients.

Qureshi was shocked by the lack of medical resources created by years of fighting and border closings. "The system has not evolved," he said. "There's been no influx or out-flux of doctors to train in these types of procedures."

Qureshi brought with him three boxes with $75,000 worth of expired catheters, needles and surgical equipment, and free samples of painkillers and antibiotics given to him by sales representatives for medical supply companies.

Qureshi said most of the Palestinians he met showed no anger toward Israel or Hamas in the fighting's aftermath. The only person he met who expressed frustration was the head of an orphanage. A 17-year-old boy who lived there had been killed in an airstrike while walking from school, and younger kids who looked up to him were having nightmares and wetting their beds, the man told Qureshi.

The man also had lost his brother-in-law, "and he was venting a bit," Qureshi recalled. "He said, 'This is the life we live. We had 150 kids in the orphanage, and we were building a school for them. But we now have 2,000 orphans, and we can't build the school.' "

nahmed@tribune.com

**ERRORS: Please note that Dr. Qureshi is not Palestinian, he is an American and has no Palestinian heritarge. He has also frequently visited the Middle East, having been to Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other nations.

Drs. Shariq Sayeed and Saeed Akthar on Free Speech News

2009-02-19T21:18:00.002-05:00

Free Speech Radio's Aya Batrawy reports

The recent 23-day long Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip left an already strangled health care system struggling to survive. Doctors in the Gaza Strip are fraught with outdated equipment and are running dangerously low on medicine – as patients fight just to stay alive. In the second part of a series on Gaza's medical infrastructure, FSRN's Aya Batrawy reports.

Cityscape

2009-02-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Rick Colwell

Two Hornell Doctors 8 Miles Apart in a War Zone

2009-02-18T17:47:00.006-05:00

Justin Head of the Evening Tribune (Hornell NY) reports:

Hornell, N.Y. - Eight miles apart and a world of difference.

The Tribune reported on Dr. Ismail Mehr’s 10-day humanitarian trip to Gaza City on Feb. 4, and what revelations he had from his experiences, but a look into the perspective of someone on the other side of the conflict shows a different point of view.

A few days after Mehr’s story was published, Dr. Stephan Greenberg of Hornell — an opthalmologist and also a staff member of St. James Mercy Hospital — revealed he was only a few miles from Mehr on the Israeli side during the conflict.

“We are not talking places that are a million miles away from each other. I can be sitting down at the beach and looking at Gaza. We are talking about a war between Hornell and Dansville or even closer, probably between five to eight miles. On a clear day you can see everything going on at the other side,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg was in Israel from Jan. 16 to Feb. 2, visiting his mother-in-law after a hip replacement. He was in Ashkelon when Palestinian rockets battered areas as close to a half of a mile from a home he owns there.

“On the first Saturday that we were there we were rocketed twice and I had to take cover. I slept in the basement that night,” said Greenberg. He said streets were abandoned, business were closed and people changed their routines, staying closer to home and curtailing their normal routines.

Greenberg has owned a home in Ashkelon for about 30 years and visits there frequently. His daughter, Galit Greenberg, is a Israeli lawyer and graduate of Hornell High School.

Mehr, an anesthesiologist, and also a Hornell High graduate, was surprised when he found out Greenberg was so close to him.

“He was in Ashkelon, really, from where I was I could see the Israeli drones flying over there,” said Mehr when he was told of his colleague’s whereabouts.

Greenberg was a member of the United States Navy for 20 years and retired a captain. He was a liaison to the Israeli Navy and has several connections in Israel. Greenberg started a residency program in the Tel Hashomer Sheba Medical Center and visited colleagues during his trip. He wants people to understand that during the latest military conflict Israel was provoked.

“I pose this question: how would the United States respond to a rocket sent over to Buffalo from Canada?” said Greenberg, adding, “No one reports how the Israeli troops hit houses with bombs that were not armed to warn the people to run.”

He thinks the media is biased and that reporting in the area is bad. On this view Mehr is in agreement, but that is probably one of the few. The doctors both said they respect each other but conversations with them reveal they have different accounts of the circumstances in the area. Greenberg insisted that Israel opens up its border frequently to care for patients.Mehr took a differing stance.

“Fortunately, I was present in Gaza and spoke with many physicians and had the opportunity to treat many patients. A majority of my patients were children with cancer and ware denied entry into both Egypt and Israel. The embargo did not allow for medical supplies to come in and thus these children were dying a slow grueling death. I think on the other side there are a few exceptions of individuals being allowed access for medical care but the numbers just don’t add up. Once again as a doctor my goal is to shed light on the embargo. I hope that this embargo is lifted so that humanitarian teams and medical specialists can help the courageous doctors and nurses of Gaza,” said Mehr in an email.

Gaza is restricted for all the right reasons, according to Greenberg. “Think of the Los Angelos gangs taking over,” said Greenberg, explaining that members of Hamas, the region’s elected government, fire rockets into civilian locations in Israel and use innocent people as shields.

“What do you expect when they put themselves inside a civilian population?” said Greenberg of reports of Gazans horrifically injured during the military operations.

Mehr cared for some of these injured people during his trip and Greenberg appreciated his effort.

“He put aside personal fear as part of the practice of his faith and he went to places that are dangerous and difficult to live in to help people in trouble. This is a guy that went to Pakistan after the earthquake, into seriously dangerous conditions and you can’t help but respect a guy like that, for going and doing what he thinks is the right thing to do,” said Greenberg.

At least they both agree on respect for one another.

“Dr. Greenberg has known me since I was a toddler and I have a great amount of respect for him. He’s a dear colleague. I am sure he knows that,” said Mehr.

2/18/09 Coverage

2009-02-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

Mercy Corps aid worker describes situation in Gaza

UAE launches donation campaign to support victims of conflict

The National (Abu Dhabi) reports on Al Wafa Rehab Hospital. To read first-hand experiences of our medical team regarding this hospital click here.

Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry on GRITtv

2009-02-17T21:01:00.003-05:00

GRITtv with Laura Flanders

Street Scene, Gaza City

2009-02-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Rick Colwell

2/16/09 Coverage

2009-02-16T18:26:00.002-05:00

Chile and Pakistan send aid to Gaza

Aid convoy now a mile long, traveling from Madrid to Algeciras

100,000 remain homeless in Gaza

My New Home: Tent #7

2009-02-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry