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Sat Jan 3 18:32:12 GMT 2009

Christos and Ron were among the first to bring to our attention that  another 
physician brother has died this week while rendering aid to others  wounded 
during acts of war.  This second doctor is just as well known, just  as loved, 
just as respected by his family and associates in his country, as was  the one 
from Philadelphia, who was known to many in North America.    The sad and 
painful news, as well as the deep loss is the  same.    As long as there are 
wars, either among gangs on the  streets or pronounced by leaders of governments, 
or created by subversive  terrorist, those responding to human injury will be 
harmed; nurses, medics,  EMTs, dentists, physicians, along with soldiers and 
civilians.   None  of those harmed declared the fighting, they just responded 
to the needs of  fellow humans.    We will always do that.   We are  
genetically driven to give and to attempt to  heal.     As we mourn these two losses, 
let us not  forget those many others, nameless, who were also loved and honored 
by  their own set of relatives and associates.     

These continuing bits of news from Gaza, Mumbai, and the streets of Houston  
and Philadelphia (and many others) causes me to be concerned and bitter, if 
not  remorse.    There must be a better way.      AND together we can find it.  

Kenneth L. Mattox, MD    

In a message dated 1/3/2009 11:50:37 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
x.giannou at gmail.com writes:

The  following article from the New York Times
In Dense Gaza, Civilians  Suffer

By TAGHREED EL-KHODARY

Published: December 31,  2008

GAZA<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/
gaza_strip/index.html?inline=nyt-geo>—
A  dentist stood at the bed of a doctor, his good friend Ehab  Madhoun,
32,
who had just died, his shrapnel-pitted body wrapped in a  white shroud. The
day before, Dr. Madhoun, a general practitioner, was in  an ambulance
responding to an Israeli strike at the Jabalya refugee camp in  northern Gaza.
Another missile hit the ambulance. The driver, Muhammad Abu  Hasira, died
instantly. Dr. Madhoun lingered for a day, dying of his wounds  on Wednesday
in the intensive care unit of Shifa Hospital, where hundreds  of people have
been brought  since
Israel<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritorie
s/israel/index.html?inline=nyt-geo>began
its  heaviest assault on
Gaza in three decades.UNQUOTE

In a matter of  only a few days we have lost two colleagues killed while on
duty as  doctors, an American surgeon deployed in Iraq and a Palestinian
doctor  riding in an ambulance. Although these two men were worlds apart --
it is  definitely NOT my intention to debate Middle East politics, there are
other  venues for that -- they both had one thing in common: they were ready
to  sacrifice themselves, and did so, in order to bring aid and relief  to
others.

May we remember them all.
-- 
christos  giannou
Monemvasia Lakonia
23070 Greece
tel & fax: (++30)  27320-61772
mob: (++30) 69 74 83 28 18
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