I start my shift at al-Shifa Hospital’s emergency ward at 7:30am, and I stay at the hospital for a full 24 hours. During that time, there is a constant stream of patients, from heart attacks to hypothermia to chronic diseases that have suddenly worsened due to the lack of treatment for traumatic injuries from Israeli attacks.On a regular shift, there are four to six of us nurses, and up to three doctors – about a third of the staff that the emergency room had before the war. Like many of the other medical staff, I do not get paid for this work. The hospital cannot afford to compensate us; some colleagues occasionally receive symbolic remuneration from supporting organisations. No one has a fixed salary.Out of 29 departments, just three are partially operational at al-Shifa. Most of the buildings in the once-sprawling medical complex are destroyed or burned. We work in three of them that have been partially restored.Once I am done with my shift, I go back to my bombed-out home, which now has tarpaulins instead of walls. We have no heating, no electricity, and no running water, and we struggle to get adequate food because I bring no income back.This is the reality …
