If I'm at the front line and refuse to treat a patient, it's considered a crime. As a physician, this is my oath. I'm going to treat everyone regardless.
The effects of the attacks against health facilities emanate far beyond those immediately killed and injured. They demolish routine and lifesaving health care for all. They make life impossible. Full stop.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes how attacks on health facilities have devastating consequences that extend beyond immediate casualties, affecting overall healthcare and quality of life.
Joanne Liu highlights the profound impact of violence on healthcare systems, stressing that attacks against health facilities not only result in loss of life but also disrupt essential health services, rendering communities vulnerable and helpless. The statement points to a crucial failure in protecting healthcare, which is vital for the wellbeing of society, and underlines that such acts make daily life increasingly unmanageable for those affected.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of protecting healthcare facilities in conflict zones.
More from Joanne Liu
All quotes →Somehow we got used to death, and then we dehumanised it. We account for conflicts in figures. Ebola is 13,500 infected, 5,000 people have died... People are losing their sense of empathy, their sense of wanting to do something.
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