He described harrowing scenes of people with decapitated limbs, headless bodies and seeing patients with “maggots in their wounds and flesh-eating bacteria”.
Among the traumatic cases that horrified Dr Sultan was that of a 12-year-old boy, who arrived with severe injuries alongside the dead body of his mother.
“He was in absolute agony and was crying. The paramedics had no painkillers to give to keep him comfortable and he didn’t realise that both of his legs were completely destroyed and mangled,” he said.
“To tell him ‘your mother has passed away and you’re going to need the amputation of both legs and possibly one hand as well’ was absolutely devastating.”
Dr Sultan said the child’s distressing response when he told him he was the only survivor left in his family “will always live with me”.
“He said to me, ‘I wish you would have killed me. Why did you save me?’
“It was very painful and I hugged him, and I sat with him for more than an hour, chatting with him.
“But inside myself I felt very broken, and I didn’t know what more I could do to help this poor child.”
