Pakistan Continues to Offer Support to Gaza ‘s Medical Students as Conflict with Israel Reaches The Tenth Month

It is for this reason that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has recently come up with a humanitarian plan to admit nearly 100 medical students out of Gaza to enable them pursue their education in different medical universities in Pakistan. This move is made at a time when the Israeli- Gaza conflict has stretched for ten months with the Israeli forces bombing and deploying ground troops to attack the Palestinian territory.

This decision was made by the PMDC which controls medical and dental profession in Pakistan, acting on an application from Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London. To this regard, the initiative targets to ensure students in Gaza receive education irrespective of the complex situations prevailing in their country.

There are severe hardships that have befallen Gaza since the beginning of October the 7th, 2023 when contrary to expectations, Hamas attacked first in anticipation of the continued worsening living conditions under Israeli occupation. The clash affects more than 38,000 Palestinians most of whom are women and children and is widely criticised for being disproportionate by international organisations on the Israeli aggression.

“By this Council decision, the desperate students in the Gaza medical colleges can pursue their education in the medical universities in Pakistan for the sake of humanity,” the PMDC said. “Students will be coming in batches, the first batch of 20-30 students are being expected shortly,” Said PMDC, it highlighted that studying in Pakistani medical universities will provide international students these specialized skills in crucial areas of medical practice such as cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, pediatrics, and surgery. Thus, this training should be particularly beneficial to the healthcare system in Gaza when the internists get back to work.

International papers describe massive damages to the Gaza Strip’s hospitals and universities, where the largest health care facility, Al-Shifa, remains non-operational due to persistent fight. The effects of occupation do not stop at the physical level, as educational institutions including those of Palestinians, and Palestinian academics have also felt the brunt of the crisis making the situation dire. The action by Pakistan illustrates Pakistan’s intention as well as support towards the provision of humanitarian aid as well as solidarity towards the Palestinian people during the on-going struggle and humanitarian disaster in Gaza.