DaysofPal- The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip revealed on Monday that between 6 to 10 patients die while waiting to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Zaher Al-Wahidi, Director of the Information Department at the Ministry of Health, stated in an exclusive interview with Safa News Agency that 1,400 patients out of a total of 20,000 have died since May 7, 2024, the date marking the closure and takeover of the Rafah Crossing.
He added, “Every day, between 6 and 10 patients who are waiting to travel for treatment abroad lose their lives.”
Al-Wahidi noted that 195 critical cases have reached a life-threatening stage, describing their condition as extremely severe. These cases are among 300 patients previously classified under the same category.
He warned that if these patients are not evacuated immediately, within hours, they are likely to die.
He also confirmed the existence of 1,971 urgent cases that must be evacuated within weeks, warning that if their conditions deteriorate over the course of a month, they could become critically ill.
Among these cases, there are approximately 4,000 children and 4,000 cancer patients in need of urgent care.
Al-Wahidi pointed out that only 490 patients have been evacuated over the past month, calling the figure negligible.
“We need to evacuate around 400 patients daily, with a minimum of 200, to resolve the backlog of patients and wounded within six months,” he said.
He further explained that patients in Gaza face multiple compounded challenges, including complicated travel procedures, prolonged approval processes for medical referrals by Israeli forces, and the broader impact of the war involving Iran, which has significantly disrupted patient travel.
It is worth noting that Israeli forces have allowed the evacuation of no more than 24 patients, along with their companions, since the reopening of the Rafah land crossing, amid strict procedures and heavy restrictions.
Israeli forces had announced last Thursday the resumption of operations at the Rafah Crossing following its closure after the outbreak of war with Iran.
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