Irish surgeon urges Taoiseach to travel to Gaza to 'see the destruction'

Irish surgeon Morgan McMonagle has worked in Gaza three times and hopes to return if the Israeli authorities grant him a visa.  Picture: David Coleman

An Irish surgeon who has worked in Gaza has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to visit the region, warning that Palestinians are starting to lose the world’s attention.

Morgan McMonagle is a vascular and trauma surgeon, usually based at University Hospital Waterford, but has worked in Gaza three times and hopes to return if the Israeli authorities grant him a visa.

“What can we do? We can speak out and go on marches,” he said.

“I would call on world leaders to call for a ceasefire and allow journalists and politicians to go in.”

He named the Taoiseach, president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and British prime minister Andy Burham.

“Go in and see for yourself the destruction that has been done. You can’t tell me that if the political will was there, it could not be turned around.”

The surgeon spoke at the Irish Hospital Consultants Association annual conference in Kilkenny where he warned against ignoring the suffering, but said “life goes on” and the news cycle has turned elsewhere.

He shared videos and images of surgery he carried out on children, but stressed many died from horrific injuries, including severe burns and shrapnel injuries.

One little girl, Malik, was paralysed by shrapnel in her brain, and many young children are now amputees. Doctors’ notes often refer to ‘WCNSF’ — wounded child, no surviving family, he added.

The conference was also addressed by Professor Jean O’Sullivan, consultant in emergency medicine at Tallaght University Hospital.

The Corkwoman founded a non-profit medical education organisation Global Emergency Care Skills in 2008.

It has trained over 850 healthcare workers in African countries, including Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Ghana since then.

Professor Jean O’Sullivan founded a non-profit medical education organisation Global Emergency Care Skills in 2008. Picture: David Coleman

“It is not just about teaching skills, it is saying to our colleagues in these countries: ‘You are not on your own’,” she said. “It is really about ensuring people don’t feel alone.”

Many hospitals they visit are run by Irish nuns — mainly older, but they are still working.

“They are the unsung heroes,” she said. “Irish nuns running schools and hospitals in Africa rarely get the recognition they deserve.”