Palestinian Doctor Converts Tent into Free Healthcare Clinic for Pregnant Women in Gaza
(AWP) - Pregnant Palestinian woman, Safa Abu Arafat, who was displaced from Khan Younis to Rafah in southern Gaza, has been feeling tired for days as her due date approaches. She is worried about not having received adequate medical care during her pregnancy since Israel launched its war on the enclave four months ago.
However, Safa found some relief after discovering an opportunity to visit a recently established free clinic offering obstetric care. The clinic was set up by Dr Mohamed al-Raqab in a camp for displaced people in the Tel es-Sultan area of Rafah.
Safa explained, “We were displaced here to Tel es-Sultan. We went to the medical tent run by Mohamed al-Raqab because there were no hospitals, as they had been destroyed. As a result of the Zionist occupation, we are unable to go to any hospitals.”
The doctor, displaced from Khan Younis himself, set up his free clinic in a plastic tent to respond to the needs of pregnant women affected by the war, who have found themselves without prenatal medical care.
The doctor equipped his modest tent clinic with an ultrasound machine, a bed, a table and two chairs.
Dr Raqab says, “I was displaced from Khan Younis, and currently live in Rafah. I started the women and childbirth clinic project after seeing the pressing need for this service in light of the numerous cases that cause great pressure on the Emirati Hospital, where I work. I came up with the idea of opening a point to provide basic primary care for women, childbirth and related checkups.”
The doctor receives women in need of daily prenatal monitoring.
He said, “I hope this will continue to grow and that there will be even more points doing the same work because there is a significant need for this. Our work is voluntary and we hope that relevant entities will sponsor this initiative so we can provide more capabilities.”
International organizations say the vast majority of Gaza’s total population of around 2.3 million Palestinians are living as internally displaced persons in harsh conditions due to the ongoing Israeli war since October 7.