Gaza: successive catastrophic crises... most serious hit health sector

GAZA /OMAR MOUSA

Hospitals are in a whirlwind of acute crises, ranging from a lack of essential basic treatments, to the problems of feeding hospitals with electricity in light of the known electricity crisis in Gaza, not ending with the shortage of medical personal to control the difficult situation in Gaza.

Israeli seige has been imposed on Gaza strip since 12 years, causing massive destruction to Health sector it has become increasingly complex and deteriorating in recent years, especially since the Gaza Strip has gone through three bloody Israeli wars.

The "Peaceful Return" marches have revealed the terrible need for hospitals for all the medical and therapeutic possibilities that caused a great inability to control the huge of injuries during these marches., More than 1,600 have injured, and more than 160 Palestinian citizens have been killed, and a percentage of those who had lost their lives were due to lack of treatment in hospitals.

In the midst of these severe crises in the health sector in Gaza, the health administration in Gaza is trying to meet the minimum health requirements of the citizens and is constantly appealing to the international community to look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Jimmy McGoldrick, said that "the supply of fuel and emergency treatments provided by the United Nations to vital installations in the Gaza Strip is rapidly depleted," calling on the Israeli government to "put an end to the restrictions imposed, and prevent the import of fuel and therapeutic relief grants provided by the world

And on the other side of the number of injured in the marches on the border, there are patients who need careful care, such as heart patients, dialysis patients and preterm infants, in intensive care departments, who are most at risk.

"The Jerusalem Hospital, which provides life-saving medical interventions to 150,000 people a year, including operations, deliveries and intensive care, will be forced to close in the coming days due to lack of fuel," according to the World Health Organization.

Fuel from four other hospitals is likely to run out over the next three days, significantly reducing basic medical services to Gaza's population.

The optional surgical procedures are being curtailed. Over the past few months, more than 7,000 elective surgeries have been postponed due to the large number of casualties and the scarcity of available resources to respond to the demand for medical services.

More than 2,000 patients in Gaza hospitals rely on electrical appliances, including newborn babies in incubators, who are most at risk. Direct damage to more than 1.27 million people will be directly affected by the closure of hospitals and the curtailment of vital medical interventions.

Currently, water and sewage facilities are rationing their fuel supplies, which will be depleted by the end of July if fuel imports are not resumed. In addition to other cuts in water supply, this situation is likely to result in water flow Sanitation to populated areas, which poses risks to public health.

Funding for emergency fuel to cover all vital facilities will be used by early August, where $ 4.5 million will be needed to cover fuel supplies by the end of this year.

"Until more sustainable solutions to Gaza power crisis are found, two steps would be able to reverse the further deterioration of Gaza in the short term," said McGoldrick. "Israel should allow fuel and other essential supplies into Gaza. Donors should mobilize resources to ensure that vital installations get the fuel they need. "

(T/S)

ANHA