In Germany hospital, wounded Libyans recover, dream of home

By Joern Perske Feb 17, 2012, 2:06 GMT

Rotenburg an der Fulda, Germany - At a hospital in central Germany, 22-year-old Hassan is trying to get back on his feet and dreams of one day returning home to Libya.

The lower part of his right leg was blown off during last year's bloody conflict in Libya, and he is recuperating and exercising in the rehabilitation centre of the hospital in Rotenburg an der Fulda.

Hassan is gradually growing accustomed to a computer-guided artificial limb, which costs 30,000 euros (40,000 dollars) and reacts to even the slightest movement.

The physiotherapist says: 'One day he'll be able to play football with it.'

Some of those seriously wounded in the months of fighting between troops loyal to then-leader Moamer Gaddafi and the rebels are being treated in Germany.

Hassan was wounded in a rocket attack on an area where he and his friends were attempting to defend their village against Gaddafi's fighters. While he survived, two of his friends were killed.

Now he wants to return home. 'I want to help rebuild my country. Libya needs us.'

Nearly 50 Libyans who opposed the Gaddafi regime are at this hospital and rehabilitation centre, with its view over the scenic Fulda valley and the picturesque town of 14,000.

Fatima al-Messaoui, 17, has had a prosthesis fit in after a bullet passed through her face smashing out six teeth and scorching her gums. Following her operation, she is already able to sit up and communicate with her family via laptop.

Shortly before midnight on August 11, al-Messaoui was travelling with her family by car towards Tripoli, the rebels' flag flying from the roof to celebrate their advance on the Libyan capital.

But they ran into one of the last remaining regime checkpoints, and came under fire. Al-Messaoui was hauled, wounded, from the car and locked in a container, she says, before being released the next day.

Hospital manager Guido Wernert recalls how he received a call on November 20 from Libya's transitional government, asking for help. The Libyans had heard of the hospital's years of experience in treating well-to-do patients from Qatar, Dubai, Oman and other Arab countries.

Two days after that phone call from Libya, the first aircraft of war-wounded arrived in Frankfurt. Rebels and civilians swathed in bandages, walking on crutches or in wheelchairs emerged under the sceptical gaze of the German immigration authorities.

Joachim Schuchert, the head of the orthopaedics section, says he has never seen cases like these. 'They haven't got just a single injury, but seven bullets in their bodies at the same time,' he says, explaining the considerable medical difficulties this presents.

'Most German doctors see perhaps one gunshot wound a year,' Schuchert says. He acknowledges that there was little he could do in some cases. 'When a bullet hits bone, it's like a packet of flour falling on the floor. Everything is smashed - bones, nerves, muscle tissue.'

The patients stay in touch with their home country through Arabic television and newspapers. The hospital catering staff has gone out of its way to cater to the tastes of the new patients and prepares food that can readily be eaten by hand with flat bread.

The signposts in the hospital are in both German and Arabic. A prayer room has been set up, with the direction of Mecca clearly indicated and the times of prayer posted on the door.

Patients able to move about are taken every Saturday to Kassel, the nearest city, where they can shop with the help of interpreters.

Bassam Abu Ali, a Lebanese, describes how he had to introduce his Libyan charges to German ways. No smoking in the wards, no loud talking in the corridors late at night, and the need to arrive on time for rehabilitation sessions, were some of the issues he says he struggled to communicate.

Wernert, the manager, makes clear that the treatment is not free of charge. The bills are being sent to the government in Tripoli.

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