The Unstoppable Doctor- Dr. Raafat Lubbad

The genocide that is conducted by the Israeli occupation in Gaza have been going on for a year now. Beginning on October 7, 2023, genocide which has caused immense destruction to the vital infrastructure, social capital and human accumulation of Palestinian society clearly aims to fundamentally end the Palestinian people’s presence in the Palestinian land and to destroy any vision of a future existence in Palestine. The planned attacks that are targeted towards accumulation of qualified people are remarkable. Among the groups, the attacks that are targeted towards healthcare workers are intentionally, calculated and planned. The number of healthcare workers, targeted, abducted, tortured and killed in the Gaza genocide, which has now completed its first year, has succeeded a thousand. Norwegian Doctor Mads Gilbert, who worked in Gaza for long years and now continues to work in Lebanon says regarding the doctors that have been killed in Palestine: “Israel killed more than a thousand healthcare workers in Lebanon and occupied Palestine since October 7. I wonder what the world would say if those healthcare workers that were killed were Jewish? The answer is in the question, and we cannot stand this double dealing.” [1]

Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Shifa Hospital Dr. Raafat Lubbad was one of the doctors who were killed in the Israeli attacks against healthcare workers in Gaza. This article is a tribute to martyr Dr. Raafat Lubbad who had a life dedicated to his patients, humanitarian values and medical science. Dr. Raafat Lubbad was born in 1972. He was the father of 5 daughters and 2 sons. He studied med school in El-Arab Faculty of Medicine (Bingazi Faculty of Medicine) in Libya and completed his internal medical specialty there.

Dr. Rafaat Lubbad

He returned to Gaza in 2011 for the purpose of serving his community and the people in need of his medical accumulation that he acquired. He received education in the field of health and hospital management in order to contribute to develop and modernize the Gaza and Palestine medical services. Dr. Raafat Lubbad who was the manager of Hamad Ben Khalifa Hospital that worked on rehabilitation and prosthetics, since 2018, had also worked as an academic in Gaza Islamic University and Gaza Al-Azhar University in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Raafat Lubbad who had a calm nature, and a constantly smiling and sincere face was appreciated by everyone for his kindness, respect and modesty towards his patients and students. He empathized with his patients by listening to them carefully, making an effort to relieve their pain and complaints and making jokes that suited the subtlety of the situation on both service visits and examination, he especially cared for the elderly and loved to spend time with them. He was patient with his students and encouraged them to take different perspectives towards cases, researching and thinking scientifically as a good medical instructor and a scientist. He advised them on how to deal with diseases as a doctor while he shared his accumulated knowledge on medical applications. the medical instructions he developed regarding the hospitals’ organizations he managed, his efforts on creating and applying those instructions and his leadership was remarkably professional.

Dr. Raafat Lubbad on a scientific conference

Dr. Raafat Lubbad cared for young doctors to take part in different tasks and executed a strong leadership for planning these services, enhancing quality standards in healthcare system and its durability. He played football with the young and coached the team as well as medical education. Dr. Lubbad, as an educator and a leader, believed that handing scientific thought, the honor of the medical profession and the passion of serving humanity down to the next generations of young doctors is also a part of the mission of medical profession and instruction. That's why he made a special effort to enhance the quality and quantity of scientific research, conferences and congress. In one of his lectures, he said by expressing the idea of counting scientific research and serving the patients as a way of worshiping Allah: “When you enter the hospital take an intention as if you start a prayer, that way your job becomes a prayer.”

Dr. Raafat Lubbad didn’t abandon his patients, students and his hospital even at times where it’s hard to work under the attacks and the blockade of Israeli occupation and there is lack of medical equipment. His foot was fractured in a rush at a hospital that was under attack but he didn’t gave up on his job. He was asked to evacuate his house under the threat of attack. Israeli occupation forces blocked all the ways from his house to the hospital. Dr.Lubbad never abandoned his patients and students even though he had to reach the hospital with an ambulance under serious threat of attack.

Months later, Dr. Lubbad and his brother decided to go home. Israeli occupation bombed his house when they were at home. Dr. Lubbad who lost his wife, three daughters and siblings in this heavy attack was severely injured. He still could be saved but the ambulances weren’t allowed to reach his home. Eventually on November 16, 2023, he was martyred as a result of serious injury. His body was found hardly seven months after his death. His body was buried in Gaza which he dedicated his life to with a humble funeral ceremony that the people of Gaza, his colleagues and friends accompanied by prayers and gratitude. [2]

Dr. Raafat Lubbad who was a compassionate doctor, a scientist, a loving father, a humble human and a patient teacher was brutally murdered by the Israeli occupation. His corpse was not honored just like his life. His only fault was to be a doctor who served humanity.

Thanks to intern Dr. Hisham K El Nabris and journalist-author Mustafa Ekici for their contributions.

[1] Instagram. @serbestiyett. 2024. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/serbestiyett/reel/DAxqR3pC9hg/. Accessed: October 2024.

[2]  Instagram. @braveheartmedicsofpalestine. 2023. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz1drRVi6ho/?igsh=MWk1bG4wZ2Q1YjMzOQ%3D%3D. Accessed: October 2024.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Alimoğlu

İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi