Sixth group of Gazan patients to fly to UAE

At Al Arish military airport in northern Egypt, more than 100 cancer patients and wounded Gazans wait in a hangar.

On the tarmac, an Etihad commercial plane has been converted into a hospital, with stretchers suspended over seats, and blankets and hot meals.

At the hangar, the patients are tended to by a team of about 40 people from different UAE government departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority and the Department of Health, as well as Etihad cabin crew.

Seeing “hope turn into reality” for the people being brought to the UAE is a reward in and of itself, flight medical commander Joe Coughlan told The National.

“I can’t describe the feeling in words, when I stand on top of these steps on the plane and look across to see all these people who had hoped to be on board this flight land to safety,” he said.

“The distance between hope and reality then becomes the distance between their seat on the plane and the door.”

This is the fourth UAE evacuation mission Mr Coughlan has flown. So far, the UAE has conducted six flights to bring Gazans from Al Arish, with the aim of flying out 1,000 cancer patients and 1,000 injured children.

On the sixth mission, the level of preparation seems a lot higher than previous ones.

Staff ensure patients sit in aisle seats so they are easily accessible. Patients believed to have infections are identified by wristbands, while people who need wheelchairs are placed in the emergency exit aisle.

Mustafa Ezzeddin, a doctor who has served in intensive care units for 15 years, appeared emotional as he prepared to board the flight.

His role is to examine patients alongside a team of Egyptian medics from hospitals in

On the tarmac, an Etihad commercial plane has been converted into a hospital, with stretchers suspended over seats

Al Arish. Dr Ezzeddin said he had volunteered when the opportunity arose at NMC hospital, where he works.

“This is a humanitarian mission, and I felt I needed to help out. I really care about this,” he told The National.

“We will be performing triage on site and determining the kind of medical attention each person will require.”

There are a lot of moving parts, which makes the mission complex, Mr Coughlan said.

“The situation is so fluid and dynamic from the Gaza side, to the border, all the way here.

“The process could look good on paper where there’s no resistance.”

Patients will be brought for treatment at hospitals in Abu Dhabi, including Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.