‘I Thought I Was Prepared’: British Volunteer Doctor ‘Shocked’ and ‘Ashamed’ By Brutality Against Children She Saw in Gaza

British obstetrician Dr. Deborah Harrington told CNN that she was “ashamed and shocked” at the level of brutality being suffered by Gazans after returning from a two-week volunteer stint at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday, Dr. Harrington shared her experiences in the “overhwelmed” emergency department, managing beyond its capacity and processing “massive numbers of patients” dealing with serious trauma injuries.

“Normally there are around 150 inpatients,” she said. “But during the time we were there that had swelled to 600 to 700 inpatients. And then another 200 to 300 presenting through the emergency department every day.”

Asked about what kind of patients she would see arriving at the hostpital, Dr. Harrington said that because of the conflict she had expected to see lots of “young men” but told the host: “what I overhwelming saw was children.”

“On one day, I think it was New Year’s Day,” she said, “there was one moment where I looked at my watch, it was 2pm in the afternoon, we had mass casualties coming in, in fact it was from a school shelter where there had been bombardment… we had mass casualties coming in. I look round the [resuscitation room], which is where all the sickest patients are taken, and out of the five patients, four of them were children.”

She continued: “One with a horrendous injury, a shrapnel injury to the brain, wasn’t going to survive” she said. “Other children with a horrendous mix of open fractures, partial amputations, open chest wounds, horrendous lacerations from shrapnel to the chest and head, and burns. That was every day.”

As the host sat quietly, Dr. Harrington explained her confusion and how she asked herself at the time why there were so many children: “There were so many children.”

“Some of the scenes I never expected to see,” she said. “I mean, I thought I was really well prepared for this, I had thought about what I might see but that struck me and will live with me forever.”

As Amanpour drew the conversation out, she presented comment by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who highlighted Israel’s rejection of full trucks of medical aid entering Gaza at the border. Dr. Harrington confirmed having seen trucks turned away, including one filled with baby nappies and diapers.

The plight of pregnant women in Gaza was particularly distressing for Dr. Harrington. She highlighted the lack of antenatal care, with many women severely anemic and unable to reach hospitals for childbirth.

The pressure on remaining medical services is part of a wider crisis, as a CNN investigation published last week found that in just two months, from October 7 to December 7, during Israel’s war against Hamas, at least 20 out of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza were either damaged or destroyed.

Journalists analysed 45 satellite images, over 400 ground videos, and interviews with eyewitnesses and humanitarian organisations. Fourteen of these hospitals were directly hit. The IDF told CNN it “did not conduct any targeted attacks against hospitals in the Gaza Strip.”

“I feel desperate… ashamed, and shocked that we’re doing this to fellow humans,” Harrington told the host.

Despite everything, Dr. Harrington, plans to return to continue to work as part of the humanitarian mission as the conflict wages on.