300 children from Gaza to be brought to the UK for free specialist NHS care

[Fragmentedbrain]

According to the Sunday Times. That's nearly as many beds as there are in Great Ormond Street, where the average waiting time for paediatric surgery is 15 weeks (which is fairly typical nationwide).

Why is it mysteriously possible for government to deliver these showy, headline-grabbing measures (I know we already knew it could happen from COVID policy) but not to just make systems work well in an ordinary way?

Oh dear. There but for the grace of god go all of us and all our children

There's so much hate inside some people nowadays. What these children must have been through is unimaginable, giving a few of them access to healthcare seems like the least that can be done. I sometimes feel that as a country we are losing our humanity. Sometimes, even if it costs us something, being kind is just the right thing to do.

Many of the neighbouring countries have taken in people for healthcare and evacuated many children for emergency care. I've seen countless of examples where Jordan and the UAE has provided care as have other counties, it's easier if everyone works together and takes on a little bit and the neighbouring Arab countries have more than definitely taken on quite a bit, providing aid, medical care, working on ceasefire agreements.

Oh because if you were a mother in Gaza, you wouldn't try to get out of a place were there is famine and starvation and regular bombing? No you wouldn't use that as a valid asylum claim, no you would stay there of course. What an excuse, it's so stupid to want to leave a war zone, and as the international law on this says, you have a choice on where you get to go, you can decide to go anywhere which is safe, it is your right in such circumstances of a valid asylum claim.

300 children from a famine stricken war zone desperately need medical aid, of course we should give it. Other countries have and are taking far higher numbers than we’ve taken. I wish we could do more.

Because we have assisted in this genocide for goodness sake’s, are you really that ill educated?

Will you also readily admit that you haven’t bothered to find out how many children ARE being helped in the wealthy Arab countries?

GOSH gets funding above and beyond the typical for NHS treatment.
The Gazan children will be treated like any other sick and injured child having NHS treatment and would not be treated as a private patient unlike the majority of patients who come to GOSH from that part of the world. It wouldn't surprise me if there is philanthropy cash involved as it is with most GOSH treatment ie providing family accommodation, transport, extra toys and home comforts
As for grommets and other basic operations I can imagine GOSH would be doing many of these as they can be routinely done locally.

You've mistimed your coup de grâce, OP. The last few days of anti immigration threads designed to wind up wavering posters about how Society as We Know It is crumbling at the hands of people in boats have not been enough to convince them that helping a small number of desperately ill, injured, malnourished and at least a significant number with one or both parents dead is something to be criticised and prevented at all costs.

The article says 5000 children are being treated in UAE, Qatar and Egypt.

It’s already stated, they won’t be sent home. So therefore it leads on that the other parent, and children would be allowed to immigrate to the UK, and at the bare minimum receive free housing, healthcare, etc etc.

Reform will be pissing themselves.

Will the UK take hundreds from Sudan as well? Thought not.

I’d much rather we spent money on this than on a lot of the other things we spend money on.

"I'm not a racist, but....."

I don't think that the OP begrudges helping these children. Rather, she's pointing out that the resources are there when the government wishes to use them.

I’m increasingly depressed at how hate filled this site has become. We are greeting our share of children injured in a war. We have done this many times before. Mala came over here for treatment for example. Why and when did everyone become so full of hate. This used to be a supportive place but the vitriol
is getting out of hand.

I don't understand why the wealthy Arab nations can't do this. Surely culturally/linguistically it will be far easier for them to adapt to being in one of those countries than the UK?

Read the article! They are taking the majority. If only there were only 300 children in Gaza in need of treatment!

I wonder if any of the specialist centres of excellence for paediatric and adolescent care in the Middle East were considered?
American Hospital Dubai - UAE
Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) - Saudi Arabia
Sidra Medicine - Qatar
Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital - UAE
King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital (KASCH) - Saudi Arabia

They almost certainly are helping, they just don’t need the good press the Kier Starmer is in need of.

Qatar has an agreement with the USA and Afghanistan that they will act as an intermediary for those who wish to leave Afghanistan. They live in Qatar while they get all of their vaccinations, before being resettled in the US.

This has been going on since the Taliban retook Afghanistan. I only know about it because I lived in Qatar and we often did collections for those arriving from Afghanistan.

Im assuming those children from Gaza need life saving surgery, rather than elective, and it’s probably not being funded through the NHS.

ive seen comparisons made to waiting for a pain clinic appt and by your own admission a ‘simple’ procedure like grommets. Not ideal but these things aren’t life threatening and can wait. We are taking about children from Gaza potentially with life threatening injuries or illness. Acting quickly for them is crucial and could be the difference between life and death. They have to take priority.

5000 children are being treated in UAE, Qatar and Egypt.

Taking this to its logical conclusion, perhaps the NHS should treat people worldwide whose medical needs are life or death.... ? You know a world heath service but only if you're at deaths door

From The Times article.

<span class="italic">This will operate “in parallel” with a scheme run by the group Project Pure Hope, which was set up by volunteer medical professionals to bring sick and injured Gazan children to the UK for treatment.</span>

The scheme has been set up outside the NHS specifically by volunteers, ie people who aren’t being paid.

Try again

This will operate “in parallel” with a scheme run by the group Project Pure Hope, which was set up by volunteer medical professionals to bring sick and injured Gazan children to the UK for treatment.