No shrapnel found in Gaza victim's body
In unusual statement, Sourasky Medical Center casts further doubts on lethal blast at Gaza beach; hospital says 21 year-old Ayham Ghalia 'cleaned' of shrapnel before arriving at hospital, although it was not medically required
The report casts further doubts over what happened in Gaza about a week and a half ago. The Israel Defense Forces said it was not involved in the explosion after completing an investigation it conducted, while the Palestinians continue to claim that explosion was caused by an IDF shell.
Ayham was taken to the Tel Aviv hospital, suffering from a multi-system failure.
She was hospitalized in very serious condition, and was sedated and connected to ventilator.
Ayham regained consciousness, but is still in serious condition. She is suffering from injuries to her hands, legs, and stomach.
Unusual practice
The hospital said that the shrapnel should only be removed when the shrapnel forms an immediate danger to the patient, adding that it was unclear why all of the shrapnel was removed from Ayham's body, despite the fact that they did not form an immediate danger, and their removal did not contribute to an improvement in her situation.
The hospital said in a statement that "the medical treatment did not fit the injury."
Ayham's brother, Adham, 12, is in the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, in serious but stable condition.
"We would like to make clear that no shrapnel was found in Ayham's body except one piece which was not accessible surgically. What is clear beyond any doubt is that part of the injuries were caused by shrapnel… this does not fit our medical experience in hundreds of injuries of terrorist attacks and explosions who usually arrive with pieces of shrapnel in various parts of their body," the hospital said.
"In such cases, the medical practice is not to search or remove the shrapnel unless they form an immediate danger to the injured person. This is also the reason that in most cases the shrapnel stays in the patient's bodies, often for their entire lives," the statement added.
