It is not something most of us think about, the fact that people living in war zones still get tooth aches. That they still require the services of dentists despite the bombs dropping and exploding upon their lives and families. So how do armies and generals go about protecting dentists in war zones – and are dentists still pulling teeth in Israel and Ukraine, while staying alive? It was World Humanitarian Day on the 19th of August 2024 and this year’s theme is the urgent need to protect humanitarians in conflicts globally. This is all about drawing attention to the vital role that healthcare professionals play during violent crises.
Doctors, Dentists & Aid Workers Dying In Record Numbers In Gaza
This should be particularly pertinent to Australians because we witnessed one of our real heroes, Zomi Frankcom, an aid worker being killed with 6 other colleagues by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) at the beginning of April. Ms Frankcom was employed by the World Central Kitchen and was delivering food and supplies to those in need in northern Gaza. The clearly marked convoy was repeatedly blown apart by the IDF for reasons only known to them. The incident was found to be a “grave mistake”. However, this is not a one-off, as the UN reports that some 250 aid workers have been killed during this conflict alone.
– ABC.net.au
Israel Indiscriminately Prosecuting Its War In Gaza
Dentists, doctors, and those bringing aid to the millions of Palestinians trapped in Gaza are being killed and wounded in record numbers. No other war or conflict in the history of modern warfare has seen so many aid workers and journalists killed. The only conclusion which can be drawn is that Israel and its IDF is prosecuting this war with an indiscriminate savagery largely indifferent to those helping the millions of Palestinians caught in the crossfire. It is important to remember that most people are not combatants in warfare but too many end up as victims just the same.
“By June 19, 2024, 37,396 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip since the attack by Hamas and the Israeli invasion in October, 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.”
– The Lancet
The Fate Of Dentists In Ukraine
Doctors and dentists are not only at real risk of death in Israel at the moment but also in Ukraine, of course. This longer running conflict, following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces some 3 years ago, has seen more than 11,520 civilians killed in Ukraine.
“The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 35,160 civilian casualties during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as of July 31, 2024. Of them, 23,640 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher. “
– Statista
As you can imagine, counting the costs of war in human lives lost and injured would be no easy task on the ground in a war zone. Ukrainian dentists have been soldiering on despite the missiles, drones and tanks invading their towns and cities in the affected regions. Dr Yuriy Drobotenko is a dentist who survived the Russian occupation of Kherson and he is the top tooth puller in a mobile dental clinic operated by the Ukrainian forces. Yuriy says, “During the initial months of occupation in the spring of 2022, Russians were busy plundering big business in Kherson, such as the agricultural sector, seaport, and banks, sparing dental clinics. When the Federal Security Service of Russia arrived, the remaining dentists were pressured to take Russian citizenship and collaborate.”
Dr. Drobotenko continues, “When the Russians finally left Kherson after six months of occupation, they looted everything they could, including dental radiography equipment, materials, and furniture from our clinics. I joined the army to help our enlisted and civilians because the demand for care is enormous. Working from 8am until curfew, I am so busy that I can only see patients for acute pain and serious inflammation.”
– Dental Economics
Dealing Death & Destruction To The Ukrainian People
It seems that even the Russians recognise the value of dentists at times of war and within the community more generally. The hard fact remains no matter the situation human beings still require essential stuff like oral healthcare. The truly horrible reality of war is that in all conflicts by far the majority of people are civilians and largely innocent victims. Power-hungry individuals like Vladimir Putin are prepared to sacrifice tens of thousands of innocent people as collateral damage to his machinations. Russian separatists in the Donbas region of Ukraine have been complicit in driving this conflict since 2014. Nationalist aspirations and personal aggrandisement go hand in hand in these situations. Russia seized Crimea in 2014 from Ukraine and the West sat back and did nothing of any real substance. Is it any wonder that Putin thought to himself – I may as well go the whole hog and take the rest of the country. However, that has not worked out so well for Mister Putin and his Russian forces to date.
Pulling Teeth In A War Zone
Imagine if you can this scene, your patient lying prostrate with mouth open on the treatment couch, you are a dentist hard at work pulling teeth. The exploding bombs nearby are shaking the walls of your building. You are battling to keep your hands steady at this important task within the soft confines of your patient’s oral cavity. Every moment holds the potential for your clinic to be blown apart, but still you keep your nerve. The fine plaster dust permeates the air and you can taste it and the pungent odour of explosives. This is a snapshot of life for war zone dentists in places like Gaza and Ukraine. The terrible irony is that you might fix up their dental issue perfectly only for them to be murdered by warfare the next day or week. Dentists and doctors in these hell holes are faced with these soul-destroying situations continuously.
Parliamentary Behaviour Rarer Than Hen’s Teeth
Meanwhile, in Australia at Parliament House, we have the Leader of the Opposition calling for bans on visas to Australia being issued to Palestinians fleeing Gaza on security grounds. The thing is that invariably it is women and children who suffer disproportionately during times of war. We see the images on our screens of weeping parents and the mangled bodies of their children from the indiscriminate bombing of civilians. It is men who start wars and prosecute them, motivated by a range of things all ultimately revolving around the desire for power. Hamas began this latest conflict but they do not represent every Palestinian. The enormous support for Palestinians around the globe, especially among younger people, is that they see the long standing unfairness of the position the Palestinian people find themselves in. It is nothing to do with antisemitism, in fact, more young people abhor antisemitism in general within their own communities than previous generations. It is anti-Zionism, the overwhelming sense of injustice observed in the relationship between Israel and Palestinians, which provokes the passionate responses and protests we have witnessed globally. Back in Parliament House, independent Teal MP ZaIi Stegall was being heckled by mainstream MPs, as she called for a humanitarian response to Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Gaza. A rare thing, then, happened – women MPs from Labor crossed the chamber to stand with Zali (party politics makes this kind of thing rarer than hen’s teeth). It was women siding with a woman being heckled loudly by men in another example of the gender war occurring down-under. Standing up to brute force in the chamber of the highest realm of power in Australia. These things are important for the role-modelling they offer our kids and especially our girls. You have probably heard the expression – ‘the fish rots from the head’. If we want to end the culture of domestic violence abuse in this country it must be reflected in the behaviour of our leaders.
Open letter calling for the safeguarding of healthcare facilities and personnel in areas of conflict, in accordance with international law
We, the undersigned healthcare professionals from across the globe, unite in expressing our grave concern and unwavering condemnation of the escalating violence targeting healthcare facilities and personnel in various regions worldwide. In areas of conflict, while health professionals may find themselves providing care to people affected on opposing sides, our commitment remains to our patients — those who are ill, wounded, and in dire need.
As advocates for universal health coverage irrespective of political affiliations or beliefs, we staunchly advocate for the complete respect of neutrality in health care provision. Safeguarding healthcare facilities and personnel from any harm is not just a moral imperative but a legal obligation enshrined in international humanitarian law (IHL). Adherence to IHL mandates the active protection of healthcare facilities and personnel, strictly prohibiting their targeting.
The Geneva Conventions serve as a cornerstone in offering protection to those affected by armed conflicts. These conventions prohibit the killing and ill-treatment of civilians, demand humane treatment for the wounded and sick, and underscore the respectful and protected handling of detainees. Furthermore, they require the preservation of civilian infrastructure, such as electricity and water networks, and ensure civilians’ access to vital necessities, including health care. Any misuse of healthcare facilities and ambulances for military purposes is both prohibited and utterly unacceptable.
Placing healthcare facilities and personnel in the line of fire during conflicts is not only unacceptable but also unjustifiable. Hospitals, ambulances, and health workers must never be targeted. Let us remember that healthcare professionals dedicate themselves to treating the injured and unwell without bias and with absolute neutrality. We are bound by our codes of ethics to do so, despite risks to our personal safety. This fundamental humanitarian duty demands a minimum of respect, honesty, and peace. Hence we call upon all parties involved in conflicts to unconditionally uphold all aspects of humanitarian law.
Sincerely,
Dr Catherine Duggan
WHPA Chair and CEO of International Pharmaceutical Federation, signing for the five WHPA member organizations: FDI World Dental Federation, FIP Advancing Pharmacy Worldwide, ICN: International Council of Nurses, WMA and World Physiotherapy.
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– WHPA.org
