MANHASSET, N.Y. — A plastic surgeon from Long Island recently returned from a medical mission in Gaza and says the experience changed him forever.
Dr. Syed Sayeed was a world away from his plastic surgery practice in Manhasset, working at the European Gaza Hospital, located between the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah. Sayeed says the hospital has a capacity of about 240-250 beds, but it’s treating over 1,000 patients.
For two and a half weeks, he worked from early in the morning until late at night, volunteering with the international humanitarian and emergency response group MedGlobal in a devastated Gaza.
Volunteer doctor in Gaza recounts death of young patient
“The health system is completely collapsed and overwhelmed,” Sayeed said. “There’s no morphine to be had … Children dealing with these extensive wounds.”
Sayeed says one case in particular broke his heart — a 3-year-old girl named Hala who was suffering from burns over 30% of her body.
“I have quite a bit of experience in managing burned children … but the resources to take care of her were not there,” he said. “I got in touch with a couple of different surgeons in the United States to see who would accept her as a transfer.”
Sayeed says a day after the border closed, Hala died from sepsis.
“I really took it to heart,” he said.
“I was there to tell their story”
“I consider myself an American Muslim I grew up in the south Bronx,” Sayeed said. “I was there as a brother from the outside, showing them that hey, you’re not alone… I was there to really tell their story when I came back.”
His wife and kids had been worried about his mission, but they did not try to stop him from going.
“They said, ‘We know who you are. This is something that you’re meant to do,'” Sayeed said. “Coming back, you do realize how close you are to your loved ones. You realize that you’re surrounded by excess. When you turn the water faucet on, you realize there’s clean water coming out of that faucet that you can actually drink.”
Sayeed vows he will return and will always fight to get more humanitarian aid for Gaza.
