Illawarra Women’s Health Centre executive director Sally Stevenson, Senator David Shoebridge and Wollongong pharmacist Yossra Aboulfadl take the healthcare workers’ petition for Gaza to parliament. Photo: Yossra Aboulfadl.
One Illawarra pharmacist’s petition has united thousands of Australian healthcare workers to push for humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Yossra Aboulfadl said the open letter to the Australian Government from doctors, nurses, surgeons, pharmacists and other key healthcare workers was born after a friend of hers returned from Gaza.
Wollongong emergency consultant Dr Ayman Alattar spent four weeks in the Palestinian territory and was keen to share what he had seen.
“We are watching this genocide livestreamed on our phones but when you hear it from a first-hand account it is very different,” she said.
“It is real; it is 10 times worse than we hear on social media.
“It’s a duty as a health worker, as a human being, as a mother of two; I needed to act.”
Yossra organised the ‘Illawarra Health Professionals Unite for Gaza’ events, where the community could hear from locals and other Australian health professionals who have been on the ground.
The line-up included Dr Alattar alongside executive director of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre Sally Stevenson, Wollongong orthopaedic surgeon Aziz Bhimani and Doctor of Emergency Medicine Mohammed Mustafa.
Based on the “overwhelming” response to the event, Yossra decided to write an open letter to parliament from Australian healthcare practitioners.
“We trust our GPs, our surgeons – these are people who save lives every day,” she said.
“Our health workers at this stage are affected by this crisis.
“Australian health workers who are saving lives in Gaza are being starved.
“There is a nurse who hasn’t had a meal for three days; they could only bring in some cucumber and tomatoes for her.
“Our doctors are struggling and starving as they try to save lives.”
The letter makes four demands of the Australian Government.
The first is to increase funding to trusted humanitarian organisations to ensure medical care and aid reaches civilians in Gaza.
Secondly, to apply diplomatic pressure to lift Israel’s blockade on Gaza and allow essential food and medical supplies into the territory.
Thirdly, to increase advocacy for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Finally, to facilitate emergency relief corridors to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid and evacuation of critically ill patients.
Yossra first took the letter to local MPs, but said they took no action.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge was prepared to step up however, and tabled the letter in parliament.
Now the group is waiting for an official response from the Prime Minister.
“All of our demands are humanitarian,” Yossra said.
“It’s not about politics, it is about human life and the professional and moral responsibility we all share to protect it.
“Health professionals have put their names, titles and locations on this letter, despite the risks, to say, ‘Enough’.
“We need to see action.”
Yossra said anyone who wanted to help support the petition could do so by sending it to any healthcare workers in their lives.
“Everyone knows a health professional,” she said.
“This is grassroots people trying to send a message to the government, and that message is to take action now.
“At this stage of starvation, famine and genocide, something must be done.”
The petition can be found here.
