PALESTINE: First Cornea Transplant In Gaza Since War Restores Vision After Donor Gift As Hospitals Plead For Aid

Gaza Hospital Performs First cornea Transplant Since War Amid Severe Supply Shortages

WORLD NEWS – PALESTINE: Beirut al-Naha became the first patient to receive a donated cornea at a Gaza City hospital since the conflict began more than two years ago. She sustained a head injury while fleeing an explosion in December 2023, lost consciousness and has since suffered blurred vision and loss of color perception; her doctors determined a cornea transplant was the only option to restore sight.

The operation was led by cornea specialist Dr. Hosam Dawud, who described acute shortages of disposables, sutures, Healon and Optisol storage medium, and some surgical instruments. A week-long local campaign to assemble supplies and adapt techniques enabled the team to proceed; staff estimate they may be able to treat up to 50 patients if materials hold.

The transplant became possible when the family of Mahmood Abusi, killed by an Israeli air strike earlier this month, consented to donation and allowed cornea procurement. One cornea was successfully implanted in al-Naha; another was allocated for a different patient as teams work to rebuild limited eye-care capacity inside Gaza.

Beyond ophthalmology, hospitals are improvising in other specialties: at central Gaza’s NASA Hospital, clinicians are fitting children with 3D-printed facial masks to treat scarring from burns, including Muhammad Agila, a boy with third-degree injuries. Doctors and aid groups say more consistent medical deliveries are needed — aid trucks have increased since last October’s ceasefire, but Médecins Sans Frontières warns supplies remain insufficient to meet ongoing transplant and reconstructive surgery needs.

Video originally published on 2026-06-02 17:57:53