American University of Beirut

Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta, Head of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department at the AUB Medical Center, began with a prerecorded presentation. He has been volunteering at Alwada Hospital in the Gaza Strip for years to provide much needed medical aid to injured Palestinians. Dr. Abu-Sitta helped launch the Conflict Medicine Program at AUB, which takes an interdisciplinary approach to the consequences of war, as part of a wider strategic reshaping of healthcare provision. His book, Reconstructing the War Injured Patient, raises awareness of what it means to care for victims who suffer not only from war injuries but also from the punishing conditions created by the collapse of infrastructure, including health systems.
 
During his most recent mission, in May of 2018, at Alwada Hospital in Gaza Dr. Abu-Sitta bore witness to the Palestinian Great March of Return, which calls for the right of return of Palestinian refugees. On March 30, 2018, a six-week campaign composed of a series of protests was launched at the Gaza Strip, near the Gaza-Israel border. “It was during this time, that nearly 10,000 Palestinians were injured by Israeli Defense Forces of which 2,210 suffered from gunshot wounds”, emphasized Dr. Sitta. The Alwada Hospital had 500 patients on the waiting list for reconstructive surgery from these injuries.

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