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Partially functional
Kuwait Specialty Hospital
Facility Type
Speciality Hospital
Ownership type
Private sector
Governorates / District
Rafah
Address
Rafah – Al Bahr Street - near Al Salam Mosque
Founding Year
2007
Facility director
Suhayb al-Hams
Beds Capacity
20
Number of workers
79
List of medical specialties and services
Ophthalmology
Non-communicable diseases
Newborn services
Pediatric surgery
Pediatric cardiology
Outpatient clinics
Urological surgery
Cardiology
Orthopedic surgery
General surgery
Respiratory medicine
Emergency medicine
Orthopedics
Internal medicine
Ear, nose and throat
Dermatology
Dentistry
General medicine
Family planning
Child health
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Equipment and facilities
Pharmacy
Laboratory services
Radiology
Ultrasound scan
Description (About the Facility)

The Kuwait Specialized Hospital was established in 2007 to meet the health needs of the Rafah Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip, with support of Al-Rahma Society for Relief and Development. Serving thousands of residents from Rafah city, it was built on an area of about 1,200 square meters, and accommodates 30 beds for patients, 10 departments, and 13 specialized clinics. The hospital provides medical services to about 40,000 people throughout the year, and performs more than 1,000 surgeries annually, in addition to nearly 1,500 deliveries[1].

Effect of siege (2007 - 2023)

During the 2014 aggression: The Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital was the only hospital operating in the Rafah Governorate after occupation forces bombed the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital during the Rafah Massacre. This put the hospital under tremendous pressure, exceeding its capacity[1].

In 2019: Hospital’s administration announced the closure of the hospital at night for a month due to the poor financial situation the hospital was in at the time[2].

During the 2021 aggression: The hospital's facilities were damaged by occupation airstrikes[3].

 

narrative during this war

On October 15, 2023: Occupation forces ordered the Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital’s management to evacuate the hospital in preparation for bombing it. The hospital administration stated that it refused to evacuate it[4][5].

On October 16, 2023: Occupation forces repeated their threat to evacuate the hospital, and the staff continued to provide medical services[6].

On November 4, 2023: The hospital received the first shipment of medical aid via the Rafah crossing[7].

On November 21, 2023: The hospital organized a free medical day at the Abu Yousef Al-Najjar School, which has been transformed into a shelter for displaced people and received an ambulance donated by the State of Kuwait[8][9].

On November 22, 2023: Hospital staff, in cooperation with the Palestinian Doctors Association in Britain, were able to establish a health clinic at the Rabaa al-Adawiya School Center for internally displaced people[10].

On November 23, 2023: Occupation forces targeted the building of a charitable organization near the hospital[11].

On December 12, 2023: The hospital established an emergency department in a tent on a neighboring street to accommodate the high inflow of new patients. [12].

On December 28, 2023: Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital chairperson of the board of directors Dr. Suhaib Al-Hams, stated that infectious diseases are spreading due to the overcrowding of internally displaced people and patients[13].

January 2, 2024: The rehabilitation of the hospital’s dental department began after it received a donation from the State of Kuwait[14].

February 8, 2024: The hospital’s staff began establishing a field hospital attached to the main hospital in Rafah[15].

On February 9, 2024: Occupation forces targeted a house in the vicinity of the hospital, killing 8 Palestinians and wounding 18 others[16].

On February 21, 2024: The hospital received a Malaysian medical delegation that included doctors specializing in orthopedic surgery and complex fractures[17].

On March 7, 2024: The hospital administration announced that it had opened the field hospital attached to the hospital to meet emergency needs during the genocide[18][19]. [S1] 

On March 9, 2024: The hospital announced the start of a blood donation campaign in cooperation with the European Hospital[20].

On March 19, 2024: A medical mission of three Malaysian doctors arrived at the hospital, and the doctors specializing in pediatric and orthopedic surgery were present for two weeks to perform surgeries. The hospital also received a French medical delegation in the outpatient clinics and the operating department[21][22].

On March 25, 2024: The hospital received a medical delegation from Jordan[23].

On April 2, 2024: The hospital received a medical delegation from Kuwait[24]. 

On April 17, 2024: A Malaysian medical delegation specializing in orthopedic surgery arrived at the hospital[25].

May 1, 2024: The Kuwaiti medical delegation visited the hospital for the third time during the genocide war, including doctors specializing in urology and general surgery[26].

May 2, 2024: The fourth Malaysian medical delegation arrived at the hospital[27]. 

On May 10, 2024: A tank shell landed in the vicinity of the hospital after it was targeted by Israeli artillery[28].

On May 13, 2024: Chairperson of the hospital’s board of directors Dr. Suhaib Al-Hams, stated that the occupation forces issued evacuation orders in the area where the hospital is located, but the staff did not receive a call about evacuation directly, although the International Rescue Committee announced on May 14 that the hospital had received evacuation orders[29][30]. 

On May 16, 2024: A number of nurses working inside the hospital were injured after a house in its the vicinity was targeted, and the bombing led to a power and internet outage and put two ambulances out of service[31].

On May 18, 2024: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report stating that the hospital had become the main hospital providing trauma services in the Rafah governorate[32].

On May 20, 2024: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the WHO transferred medical equipment and devices from Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital to Nasser Medical Complex[33].

On May 25, 2024: The hospital’s administration appealed to the WHO to provide fuel for the hospital[34].

May 27, 2024: Occupation warplanes targeted the gate of the hospital, killing two health workers. The hospital was reportedly out of service[35][36].

On June 7, 2024: Occupation forces targeted the hospital, causing a fire in large parts of its facility, and the hospital administration confirmed that it was out of service[37].

On June 10, 2024: The hospital announced the start of the operation of the Kuwaiti Specialized Field Hospital "Shifa Palestine" in the Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis[38].

On June 23, 2024: The hospital administration announced that the hospital's main generator had stopped due to lack of fuel[39].

On July 1, 2024: The hospital administration announced the start of the mobile clinic service to reach the largest number of patients in the displacement camps[40].

On July 4, 2024: The hospital administration warned that service provision at the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital would stop within 24 hours due to running out of fuel[41].

On July 5, 2024: The WHO and UNRWA were able to deliver three days' worth of fuel to the field hospital[42][43].

On August 3, 2024: Occupation forces destroyed large parts of the hospital [44].

The main targeting and assaults During the genocide

Related testimonies

Related testimonies

سلمى القدومي - صحفية فلسطيني
خروج مستشفى الكويت عن الخدمة مع بدء التوغل البريّ في رفح
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
سلمى القدومي - صحفية فلسطيني
عمل المستشفى الميداني الكويتي مع بدء التوغل البري في رفح
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
صهيب الهمص - المدير العام لمستشفى الكويت التخصصي
دعوة من داخل مستشفى الكويت التخصصي لتوفير الحماية الدولية
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
صهيب الهمص - المدير العام لمستشفى الكويت التخصصي
تفاصيل عمل مستشفى الكويت التخصصي في ظل تهديدات الاحتلال بإخلائه
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
صهيب الهمص - المدير العام لمستشفى الكويت التخصصي
رسالة صمود وثبات للطواقم الطبية في مستشفى الكويت التخصصي
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
صهيب الهمص - المدير العام لمستشفى الكويت التخصصي
مستشفى الكويت التخصصي يطلق نداء استغاثة للكوادر الطبية
- وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي
Sources
  1. Al Rai Kuwaiti newspaper, News release.
  2. Al-Hadath Palestine Newspaper, News release.
  3. Barwaz electronic newspaper, News release.
  4. Al Jarida Kuwaiti newspaper, News release.
  5. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  6. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  7. Al-Ghad Channel, YouTube.
  8. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  9. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  10. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  11. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, Press release.
  12. Arab World News Agency, News release.
  13. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  14. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  15. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  16. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Report.
  17. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  18. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  19. Palestine Today Channel, News release.
  20. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  21. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
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  24. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
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  27. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  28. Quds News Network, Telegram.
  29. International Rescue Committee, Press release.
  30. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  31. Quds News Network, Telegram.
  32. World Health Organization, Report.
  33. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Report.
  34. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  35. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Report.
  36. Doctors Without Borders- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Press release.
  37. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  38. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  39. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  40. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  41. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  42. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Report.
  43. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.
  44. Kuwait Specialized Hospital, Facebook.