A Libyan man who was shot in the head in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi is receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital.
The 34 year-old arrived in Malta on Thursday night from Misurata on a Medavia aircraft accompanied by two Libyan doctors, Ahmed el Fanar and Mohammed Teeka. The patient is in critical condition.
Seif al Nasser was wounded when rebels barged into Zlitan, 80 miles east of Tripoli, last week. It not yet clear what role he played in the conflict.
The health condition of the father of one deteriorated over the past few days and he is also suffering from a chest infection. However, sources said Mr Nasser’s condition had improved during the last few hours and he was breathing better.
He is expected to be operated upon today.
The costs are being mainly borne by the victim’s relatives, the Council of Misurata, and the Libyan Embassy in Malta.
The Libyan community in Malta hoped it would be able to organise similar rescue operations for others wounded in the conflict, spokesman Youssef Lamlum said.
Dr Teeka said Mr Nasser was among about 600 casualties from Misurata being treated in hospitals outside Libya, including Egypt, Tunisia and Germany.
Originally based in Tripoli, Dr Teeka moved to Misurata as soon as the civil war erupted in February. He has since assisted the injured at the city’s main hospital, Casualties are brought there from the surrounding areas, including Zlitan.
He said about 200 people were admitted to hospital every day, 45 of whom were amputation cases.
Dr el Fanar, who has been stationed in Misurata for the past three years, said the medical team was in dire need of transportation resources, especially ambulances. “It’s a very grave situation and transferring patients, especially between Tripoli and Misurata, is the biggest challenge we face every day. Lives are lost when people don’t make it on time,” he said.
The doctors called on the international community to support Libyan citizens, especially because the shortage of medical supplies had increased drastically over the past few months as rebels gained ground in western Libya.