They want to fight for Yemen again
AL HOUTHI ATTACK VICTIMS WHO ARE RECUPERATING AT A DELHI HOSPITAL WITH UAE AID NOT AFRAID TO ASSIST THEIR ARMY ONCE BACK HOME
Despite suffering serious injuries in lifethreatening attacks, Yemenis recuperating at a Delhi hospital want to go back at the earliest to assist Yemeni army fighting Al Houthi militia.
The mental trauma of the attacks and deadly wound infections have not shaken their fighting spirit, which otherwise helped their speedy recovery, according to doctors at VPS Rockland hospital that treats Yemenis as part of an Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) initiative.
Gulf News visited these patients who were flown to New Delhi for treatment.
Abdullah Ali Omer, 42, lost all five toes of his right foot in a landmine blast five months ago, which destroyed a vehicle he was travelling in with his friends in Lahej in Aden. The horrific noise of the blast caused by Al Houthis, the terrified cries of other victims and their blooded bodies are still vivid in his mind. Recuperation from that trauma and the lethal infection in his leg has further reinvigorated his patriotism. “I would like to go back at the earliest to assist the Yemeni army. I can’t sit idle at home in this situation,” Omer told Gulf News from his hospital bed, with the assistance of a translator.
Osama Abdu Hamoud, 23, was fortunate to survive a bomb explosion caused by Al Houthis, which killed three people. He and seven others escaped with serious injuries. Recuperation from injuries to the lower part of his right leg has further strengthened his resolve to serve his people’s cause. “I want to help our army.”
Salah Talal Abdullah, 17, received burns all over his body in a rocket attack and resultant explosion that killed eight people. His friend also survived the attack that targeted 10 people.
Doctors said Abdullah was crying with pain when he reached the Delhi hospital. His severe wound infections could have led to septicaemia, blood poisoning caused by infection reaching the blood stream, they said.
Having recuperated, Abdullah says: “Now I am ready to help my country … to do anything for Yemeni army to save my people.”
Hani Jamal Mohammad, 32, was caught in indiscriminate machine-gun fire by Al Houthis in Aden, which caused fractures of his right thigh and severe injuries in the left leg six months ago.
Brutal attack
Machine-gun-wielding Al Houthis attacked a school at 5.30am, which lasted until 4pm and victims including Mohammad received first aid only after several hours. He, too, had life-threatening infection in his leg when he reached Delhi, but now he is recuperating. “I want to go back … not for my family but for my nation. I want to do my best to help the Yemeni army,” Mohammad said.
Fateh Saleh Hamoud, 36, who suffered a severe knee injury after falling down while running from an Al Houthi attack. He reached India with a lot of hopes after two years of treatment in Jordan. “Some of my friends have already got well after treatment in India,” said Hamoud, a furniture businessman and father of nine children. Doctors said he will undergo surgery for joint replacement. “This determination to get better helped speed up their recovery,” said Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of Abu Dhabi-headquartered VPS Healthcare that runs three hospitals in Delhi.
“Being victims of violence, they all suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. As part of their clinical care, we provided them with constant psychological support,” he said. However, Fateh Saleh Hamoud, 36, suffered a severe knee injury after falling down while running away from an Al Houthi attack. Abdullah Ali Omer, 42, lost all five toes of his right foot in a landmine blast. Left: Hani Mohammad, 32, was caught in machine-gun fire. He fractured his right thigh and severely injured his left leg. Dr Vayalil said, “The patients’ inner strength and self-belief were major favourable factors, which made the work of our medical teams easier.”
These patients were part of the first batch of 49 Yemeni patients who arrived in Delhi. After successful treatment, 29
of them have returned home in the past few weeks.
A patient who received gunshots in the spine was a major case.
“We removed a bullet from his spine,” said Dr Sanjay Gupta, medical director at the hospital and neurosurgeon. He said the infections the patients had were a major challenge before conducting surgeries.
Most of the patients required multidisciplinary treatment, said Dr Vivek Singh, corporate director at the hospital.
As Gulf News reported on Saturday, the remaining 20 patients from the first batch will go home in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, a second batch of patients reached New Delhi on June 22.