Toledo. The University Hospital of Toledo will care for and receive 2 Gazan minors with serious health problems resulting from the effects of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. In addition, a relative of both, who in this case is the mother, will also accompany them, thanks to the commitment of the Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Health, with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The delegate of the Government of Spain in Castilla-La Mancha, Milagros Tolón, has pointed out that the University Hospital of Toledo “will receive two girls who will be treated for the serious wounds they suffer after an attack in Gaza, providing them with the care they need far from the war in their country.”
The solidarity of Castilla-La Mancha
These are two sisters “who are accompanied by their mother whose transfer to our capital reflects the solidarity of Castilla-La Mancha, a land always ready to help and welcome those who are having the worst time; and which is the result of the firm commitment of the Government of Spain to human rights and, in particular, to the rights of children”, stressed the delegate of the Government.
“All the children of the world, regardless of where they are, have the right to feel safe and protected and to receive the health care they need and that is what we do from the Government of Spain and from Castilla-La Mancha, taking these children away from the war to ensure their recovery,” he said.
15 Palestinian minors and 27 family members arrive in Spain
A total of 15 Palestinian minors with serious health problems resulting from the effects of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip and 27 immediate family members will arrive in Madrid on Wednesday, July 24, from Cairo to be treated in various Spanish hospitals. Specifically, there are 13 injured minors, one oncological patient and another with a chronic heart disease
This operation responds to the commitment reached by the Ministry of Health with the World Health Organization (WHO), announced by the President of the Government, and which has also counted on the participation and collaboration of the Ministries of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration; Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Defense; and Interior. The WHO, the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), and the Palestinian Children’s Aid Fund have also been involved and collaborating.
Gazan minors, the majority with traumatological injuries of various kinds, will be treated in hospitals in Euskadi, Asturias, Navarra, Castilla-La Mancha and Gómez Ulla in Madrid, under the Ministry of Defense, all under the coordination of the Ministry of Health. Family members will also be welcomed and accompanied by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration in collaboration with the NGO Accem.
The children, their relatives and the displaced teams of the Ministries of Health and Inclusion, Social Security and Migration will arrive this Wednesday at the Military Airport of Torrejón de Ardoz, aboard a medicalized plane of the Air and Space Army, which offers all the guarantees of security in an evacuation of these characteristics.
This completes the first medical evacuation within the Medevac mechanism with Palestinian patients from Gaza due to the conflict. Medevac is a medical evacuation device that is activated when a country faces a disaster that overwhelms its response capacity and requires help through the civil protection mechanism and whose activation involves the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre to mobilise assistance and experts from the participating countries.
In this case, the WHO has coordinated the management of this request to the ERCC and has activated the Medevac. Spain has participated in previous Medevac mechanisms to assist patients from Ukraine and Moldova. And now it is the first European country to bring through this mechanism Palestinian minors evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment. Likewise, the Ministry of Health calls on other European countries to join this mechanism for the reception of minors.
Medical care in Spanish hospitals
Once in Spain, minors will travel to different hospitals in the country to be able to be cared for, depending on the availability and specialties of each of the medical centers and the needs of the patients. They will be transferred this same Thursday, July 25th.
Patients will be distributed as follows: five to the University Hospital Donostia in the Basque Country; five to the University Hospital of Cruces de Baracaldo, also in the Basque Country; two to the Central University Hospital of Asturias in Oviedo; two to the General University Hospital of Toledo; one to the University Hospital of Navarro in Pamplona; and one last to the Hospital Gómez Ulla in Madrid, under the Ministry of Defense.
Medicalized evacuation on an Army aircraft
The Ministry of Health has moved four health workers from the Minister’s, Secretary of State’s and Ingesa’s offices to Cairo to coordinate the operation from the field and carry out health needs studies relevant to minors before the trip to Madrid, in collaboration with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, which develops psychosocial care studies.
From this past Saturday and until next Wednesday, the teams will supervise the grouping of minors from the Egyptian capital and organize their evacuation to Madrid, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation through its Embassy in Cairo. To this end, they are also assisted by the staff of the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the Palestinian Children's Aid Fund.
The evacuation of minors will take place in a medicalized aircraft of the Air and Space Army, which provides technical infrastructure, as well as specialized personnel of the UMAER (Medical Aeroevacuation Unit) to ensure the safety of patients, at all times. The aircraft is also equipped with state-of-the-art electromedical equipment and sanitary equipment, permanently revised and ready for use.
The UMAER is a unit that is characterized by its professionalism, meticulousness and that anticipates different scenarios. For this reason, the equipment they transport has a duplicate that allows them to cope with any eventuality.
Welcome
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has also visited the delegation sent to Cairo to attend to the families of the children who will subsequently be cared for in Spain. They are joined by two members of the General Directorate of Migration Management of the Ministry and two interpreters from Accem, the collaborating entity that will carry out the Cunina Project.
The project aims to address the urgent medical needs of children, allowing them to be accompanied by their closest relatives during treatment. Accem and the Ministry of Inclusion will manage the provision of different services and actions within the reception, such as accommodation, maintenance and coverage of basic needs; as well as comprehensive care, consisting of information and guidance, accompaniment, psychological and legal care, and translation and interpretation services.
During the duration of the operation, families will be housed in resources managed by Accem in the Basque Country, Castilla La Mancha, Asturias, Navarra and Madrid. Greater proximity to hospitals where medical care is provided to minors or, failing that, the movement of family members to the corresponding hospital centre has been facilitated. These people will also have financial support to meet their needs while participating in the program.
Gratitude from the Palestinian Children Relief Fund
The Palestinian Children’s Aid Fund (PCRF) is the NGO that cares for children evacuated to Egypt from the Gaza Strip and is jointly responsible with the Palestinian authority for their care and transfer to host countries. The president of PCRF, Vivian Khalaf has assured that “we thank the Government of Spain, the ERCC and the WHO for responding to our appeals. This historic cooperation will ensure life-saving treatment for injured children in Europe. This partnership is a testament to the power of international solidarity and compassion, and reinforces our mission at PCRF to provide these children with critical medical and humanitarian care during these difficult times.”
Meanwhile, Tareq Hailat, who runs PCRF’s overseas treatment program, says that “the courage and resilience of these young patients inspire us every day. Unfortunately, many more children, such as these 15, are in urgent need of medical attention and evacuation. This mission represents hope for many families in Gaza and demonstrates the transformative impact of global solidarity. We also expect similar missions to start next week in Belgium, Norway and Italy, and we expect them to continue."