DaysofPal – Medical services in the Gaza Strip are facing a new and dangerous setback, with health authorities warning that the continued blockage of laboratory supplies is crippling diagnostic and lifesaving services. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says laboratories and blood banks are operating on the brink of collapse, threatening the ability of hospitals to treat patients and the wounded across the territory.
In an official statement, the ministry said that shortages have reached critical levels, with 84 percent of essential laboratory testing materials completely depleted. In comparison, the deficit in laboratory consumables and supplies stands at around 71 percent.
The ministry explained that a number of vital laboratory tests are now at risk of total suspension. These include complete blood count (CBC) tests, coagulation factor analyses, blood gas tests, microbiology examinations, cancer diagnostics, and blood transfusion compatibility testing.
According to the statement, the absence of these tests prevents hospitals from providing necessary medical care to patients and the wounded, particularly in intensive care units, surgical departments, emergency rooms, and neonatal wards.
The Ministry of Health called on all relevant parties to take urgent and immediate action to replenish laboratory and blood bank stocks, warning that these facilities are facing a critical moment that could result in a full and irreversible halt of services.
Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes continue to target various areas across the Gaza Strip, with the number of fatalities rising and humanitarian and health conditions deteriorating to unprecedented levels. Hospitals are operating far beyond their capacity and with extremely limited resources.
The Israeli occupation continues to disregard humanitarian protocols and the terms of the ceasefire agreement, particularly those related to the entry of medicines and the facilitation of patient travel for treatment. The number of patients allowed to leave Gaza for medical care remains far below agreed levels, placing the lives of more than 20,000 Palestinians at serious risk.
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