On what should have been just another day at the office, Dr. Bahar Sarhan, a 37-year-old senior doctor in the Emergency Medicine Department at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, found himself in an unexpected scenario.
While attending to wounded individuals who arrived at the emergency room following an anti-tank missile strike in Moshav Shtula near the northern border, Sarhan made a shocking discovery: Three of the casualties were his own relatives, two of them in moderate condition and one in mild condition.
“As a doctor, I’ve been trained to care for people and specialize in emergency medicine, but no one can prepare you for dealing with such situations on a mental level,” he recounted.
“I never imagined that I’d be tending to family members, especially during wartime.”
Treating wounded family members during wartime
The incident occurred when an anti-tank missile struck a group of construction workers, resulting in the death of one worker on the spot, while the other three – a father and his two sons – were rushed to the medical center in Nahariya.
“Out of the blue, one of the employees approached me and showed me a video from the scene of the incident circulating on social media. In that moment, I recognized our family’s vehicle and realized it was them,” he said.
“Within seconds, my aunt called me, telling me that her husband and in-laws were at the same location and wanted to verify if they had made it to us. Minutes later, I saw them arrive and recognized that they were in relatively good condition. I approached them immediately; it was crucial for me to show my presence and offer reassurance. My heart goes out to the other worker who lost his life, although he wasn’t a relative. There’s no denying that my relatives were incredibly fortunate,” he added.
Sarhan admitted that he didn’t dwell on his thoughts while treating the wounded. “In these situations, you run on autopilot, and, in essence, I felt like I was on two fronts – caring for the wounded and providing support and assistance to my family. By nature, I’m a composed person, and this quality also aided me in this situation,” he emphasized.
Two of the wounded, the father and one of his sons, aged 70 and 39, are currently in moderate condition and under hospitalization in the surgical department, while the other son was released to his home after undergoing tests in the emergency room.
