SINGAPORE: Love Aid Singapore founder and activist Gilbert Goh has announced plans to bring 12 child amputees from Gaza to Singapore for medical treatment, describing it as a “dream project” for the humanitarian group.
The announcement was made on the organisation’s Instagram page on Tuesday (12 Aug), where Goh shared the profiles of the children, all aged below 12.
According to Goh, most of the children have lost a leg or an arm due to injuries sustained in the ongoing war, while some have undergone multiple amputations.
The United Nations has reported that an average of 10 children in Gaza lose one or both limbs each day due to Israel’s assault on the enclave.
“The logistical and political optics to transfer these victims of war out of Gaza are complex but not impossible,” Goh said.
He noted that countries such as Spain, Italy, the United States, Malaysia, Jordan, and Egypt have previously carried out medical evacuations, sometimes using military aircraft.
Love Aid Singapore intends to identify suitable patients and their carers to facilitate visa applications.
The children are expected to stay at a Singapore government hospital for one to two months before being repatriated to Gaza.
Each child will be accompanied by a carer, typically a mother or aunt.
Goh expressed hope that Singaporeans would take pride in the country’s world-class healthcare facilities being used for humanitarian purposes.
The initiative adds to the organisation’s ongoing work in Gaza, where it operates two Singaporean-funded polyclinics in the north and central regions to help address severe medical shortages.
Public Reaction and Suggestions
The announcement has drawn an overwhelmingly positive response from netizens, with many offering to volunteer or assist in the initiative.
One user suggested that Goh find sponsors for accommodation, visas, food, and transportation, in addition to financial support, noting that this could save a lot of money and allow more children to receive treatment.
Others proposed alternative arrangements, with one user suggesting that treatment might be more cost-effective and culturally suitable if conducted in developed Arabic-speaking countries such as Jordan or Egypt.
The user noted that medical expenses for international patients in Singapore are “astronomical” and that recovering in a non-Arabic environment could pose additional challenges for traumatised children.
Despite these reservations, the user emphasised that they still supported Goh’s humanitarian mission.
WHO Warns of ‘Catastrophic’ Health Conditions in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday (12 Aug) that Gaza’s public health system is in a “catastrophic” state, with hospitals operating far beyond capacity and suffering severe shortages of life-saving medicines.
Fewer than half of Gaza’s hospitals and under 38 per cent of primary healthcare centres are even partially functioning, said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the West Bank and Gaza.
Bed occupancy in major facilities is drastically over capacity — Shifa Hospital at 250 per cent, Nasser at 180 per cent, Al-Rantisi at 210 per cent, and Al-Ahli at over 300 per cent.
Over half of essential medicines and nearly 70 per cent of medical consumables are at zero stock.
“Hospitals are particularly overwhelmed by injuries from food distribution areas, which are also driving persistent shortages of blood and plasma,” Dr Peeperkorn said.
He noted that since 27 May, at least 1,655 people have been killed and over 11,800 injured in such areas.
The crisis has worsened with new displacement orders in Gaza City, which have forced WHO’s warehouse into an evacuation zone and placed more hospitals, primary care centres, and ambulance facilities at risk.
Access for international medical teams and supplies remains severely restricted, with foreign medics facing entry denials and delays in delivering key equipment such as ICU machines and anaesthesia units.
While WHO has managed to bring in 80 truckloads of medical supplies since June, Dr Peeperkorn stressed that procedures remain slow and unpredictable.
“We need multiple crossings into Gaza opened, procedures simplified, and access impediments lifted,” he urged.
“We hear about more humanitarian supplies being allowed in – but it’s not happening, or it’s happening far too slowly.”
The conflict, which escalated on 7 October 2023, has killed more than 61,500 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
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