Video of Doctor Saving an Infant in 2019 Goes Viral
The Claim
A doctor saved the life of a Palestinian girl who stopped breathing after suffering a respiratory tract blockage and was on the verge of dying.
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Emerging story
Since 9 April, a video from Palestine has been widely circulating on social media depicting panicked parents carrying an unconscious child and entering a hospital. In a frenzy, they look for assistance when a plain-clothed man takes the child and begins hitting her on the back. It becomes clear that the man is a doctor, and the child is suffocating. The 1.36-minute video has garnered millions of views and shares.
Misbar’s Analysis
The Misbar investigation found this claim to be misleading. Although the video is accurate, it occurred on 27 March 2019, according to the medical center's surveillance cameras. On April 9th, the doctor himself, Dr. Mujahid Nazzal of the Qabatiya Medical Complex, posted the video to his private Facebook account. The video has an extended caption that takes readers through the ordeal, starting with “10 minutes to 2 am, had an intense and stressful day, I could not wait to get home to relax, I slept on a bed and dozed off for a few moments” and ends with describing the feeling of saving a life by the grace of God, as pictured below.
It appears the doctor deliberately did not mention when the incident occurred, nor did he contact the parents before publishing the video, which was shared thousands of times across social media. The doctor was also honored by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on Facebook. However, they did mention later that the incident occurred in March 2019, pictured below.
Given the video's context, the misbar team finds the claim to be misleading, almost intentionally. While it is accurate and a heroic act, it occurred over two years ago and should be mentioned by the source.
