Dr Midhat Saidam
Dr. Saidam was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his home on 15 October 2023.
After working tirelessly for more than a week at al-Shifa Hospital, Dr. Saidam went home on the evening of 15 October to rest. Only a few hours later, his home was struck in an Israeli bombardment, killing him instantly. His colleagues, who had expected to see him return the next morning to continue operating, instead received his lifeless body brought back to the hospital. His death symbolized the devastating loss of medical professionals in Gaza, where even doctors working on the frontlines of saving lives were not spared from the violence.
Biography
Dr. Midhat Saidam was a 47-year-old Palestinian surgeon from Gaza City, remembered as one of the most dedicated and respected doctors at al-Shifa Hospital. Known among colleagues as “the relentless surgeon,” he spent decades in the operating room, saving lives and mentoring younger physicians. His calm, kind-hearted, and humorous nature made him a beloved figure among staff and patients alike. Beyond his surgical skills, he was admired as a mentor who could always find solutions to difficult cases, making him an anchor of the medical team at Gaza’s largest hospital.
Dr. Midhat Saidam was a 47-year-old Palestinian surgeon from Gaza City, remembered as one of the most dedicated and respected doctors at al-Shifa Hospital. Known among colleagues as “the relentless surgeon,” he spent decades in the operating room, saving lives and mentoring younger physicians. His calm, kind-hearted, and humorous nature made him a beloved figure among staff and patients alike. Beyond his surgical skills, he was admired as a mentor who could always find solutions to difficult cases, making him an anchor of the medical team at Gaza’s largest hospital.
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On the evening of 15 October, Dr Saidam needed a rest. The 47-year-old surgeon had not left the al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City for more than week. He told his colleagues he was going home for the night. But a few hours later he was killed in a strike at his home. "This calm, funny and kind-hearted man came back to the hospital the next morning, but as a lifeless body," his colleague Dr Adnan Albursh explained. Dr Albursh, who had known the surgeon for more than 20 years, added that his late colleague had been nicknamed "the relentless surgeon" by his peers for his dedication to the job. A veteran of the operating room, Dr Saidam was also known as a great mentor to younger doctors. "If any of the doctors faced any difficulties, they knew Dr Saidam was the one who would sort it out," agreed Dr Ahmed El Mokhallalati, the head of the plastic surgery department at al-Shifa Hospital.1 bbc.com Open source