- Title: Artificial limbs change lives for wounded Gaza protesters
- Date: 8th April 2019
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN BOY WHO LOST LEG DURING BORDER PROTESTS PLAYING FOOTBALL WITH ARTIFICIAL LIMP BOY HOLDING BALL WITH SHIRT READING (English): "Messi 10 - UNICEF" KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) GAZA RESIDENT, NAZEEHA QUDEIH, WALKING WITH ONE LEG AFTER SHE LOST LEG DURING BORDER PROTESTS QUDEIH LOOKING AND TALKING VARIOUS OF QUDEIH PUTTING ON ARTIFICIAL LIMB QUDEIH WALKING WITH ARTIFICIAL LIMB VARIOUS OF QUDEIH AND BROTHER WITH CRUTCHES, SUHAIB QUDEIH, SETTING AND TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT WHO LOST HIS LEG DURING BORDER PROTESTS, SUHAIB QUDEIH, SAYING: "Before the injury, I used to work and earn money, I had a decent work and I used to make good amount of money. Before the injury, I used to feed my children everything. But after the injury, I cannot afford what my son asks me to bring like before." QUDEIH SETTING IN ROOM AND AMPUTATED LIMB OF BROTHER AND CRUTCHES SEEN VARIOUS OF SUHAIB LEAVING HOME AND WALKING ON CRUTCHES GAZA CITY, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SPECIALISTS WORKING ON ARTIFICIAL LIMBS AT WORKSHOP PATIENTS STANDING AT ARTIFICIAL LIMPS CENTRE VARIOUS OF ABDALLAH QASSEM, 17, WHO LOST BOTH LEGS DURING BORDER PROTESTS BEING TRAINED BY SPECIALIST ON HOW TO WALK WITH ARTIFICIAL LIMBS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZAN LOST BOTH LEGS DURING BORDER PROTESTS, ABDALLAH QASSEM, SAYING: "Journalism requires a lot of movement and now I have no legs so I should choose something that is suitable for my life. I will work in computer science." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BEING TRAINED ON HOW TO WALK WITH ARTIFICIAL LIMPS KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) TEAM AND GAZA DOCTORS CHECKING PATIENT WHO TEAM MEMBER WEARING SHIRT WITH LOGO READING (English/French): "World Health Organisation" (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRAUMA MANAGER AT WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO), SARA HALIMAH, SAYING: "This centre is focused around restoring people's lives, preventing amputations, making sure that they are able to move again, making sure that their lives are restored as best as possible. In 2018, you are quiet right, we have had a high number of amputations, if this centre is not established and if we do not have the correct treatment centres for controlling the infection rates, then we will see this amputation rate go through the roof, it will skyrocket, and that is what we need to prevent right now." DOCTOR ADJUSTING IV TUBE HALIMAH TALKING TO DOCTOR MONITOR PATIENT AT INTENSIVE CARE UNIT SEEN FROM DOOR GAZA CITY, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ARTIFICIAL LIMPS CENTRE SIGN READING (Arabic): "Artificial Limps Centre - Gaza Directorate"
- Embargoed: 22nd April 2019 15:15
- Keywords: Amputees in Gaza Gaza Artificial Limp and Polio Centre World Health Organisation Artificial limps Israel Palestinians Gaza border protests
- Location: GAZA CITY AND KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- City: GAZA CITY AND KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001A9LOK0L
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Walking up and down stairs at a Gaza medical centre, Palestinian amputees are learning to use their new artificial limbs after being wounded by Israeli fire at border protests.
The Health Ministry in the Hamas Islamist-run territory said 136 wounded Palestinians have undergone amputations since the demonstrations began in March 2018.
It was only one bullet that dramatically changed the life of 17-year-old Abdallah Qassem who struggles to stand steady while trying on his new artificial legs.
Qassem said the bullet struck one leg and then penetrated the other as he sat on the ground with friends at a rally on May 14, the day the United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, fuelling Palestinian anger.
He had to give up on his dream of becoming a photojournalist and decided to study computer science instead.
"Journalism requires a lot of movement and now I have no legs so I should choose something that is suitable for my life," he said.
The Gaza Artificial Limb and Polio Centre is run by the Gaza municipality. On its first floor, technicians were producing limbs with material from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Protesters at the demonstrations are demanding the end to a security blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel and Egypt, and want Palestinians to have the right to return to land from which their families fled or were forced to leave during Israel's founding in 1948.
Around 200 Gazans have been killed by Israeli troops so far in the protests, according to Palestinian Health Ministry figures. An Israeli soldier was also killed by a Palestinian sniper in July.
U.N. investigators say Israel has used excessive force. Israel says it has no choice but to use deadly force to protect the border from militants and infiltrators.
In the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, Suhaib Qudeih and his sister Nazeeha each lost a leg to Israeli gunfire.
"Before the injury, I used to feed my children everything. But after the injury, I cannot afford what my son asks me to bring like before," the 33-year-old man said.
He needs more surgery to make sure an artificial right leg can fit well. His sister has already had her artificial limb fitted.
The World Health Organisation said 6,872 Gazans suffered gunshot wounds, mostly to the limbs, in the past year of protests.
With funding from the European Union, the WHO is helping Palestinians set up a limb reconstruction unit in Nasser hospital in southern Gaza. It is expected to open as early as next month.
"This centre is focused around restoring people's lives, preventing amputations, and making sure that they are able to move again," Sara Halimah, WHO trauma manager, said.
Halimah said each of the patients will need up to two years of treatment.
"If this centre is not established and if we don't have the correct treatment centres for controlling the infection rates, then we will see this amputation rate go through the roof, it will skyrocket," Halimah told Reuters at Nasser hospital. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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