DaysofPal- A senior Palestinian health official has warned that the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is facing a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies, amid ongoing restrictions on imports.
Dr. Munir Al-Borsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said the territory’s health system is experiencing a severe deficit in essential drugs, medical consumables, and laboratory materials.
In remarks to local media, Al-Borsh attributed the crisis to restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation on the entry of medical supplies, saying the limitations are directly affecting the quality of healthcare services provided to patients.
He explained that only limited quantities of medicines are being allowed into Gaza, leading to acute shortages of critical items, particularly anesthetics required for surgical procedures, as well as emergency and life-saving drugs used in hospital emergency departments.
According to Al-Borsh, the shortages are contributing to a deterioration in patients’ health conditions, with many critical cases unable to receive timely or appropriate treatment. This, he said, has led to a rise in mortality rates inside hospitals.
The official revealed that the Health Ministry records between six and ten deaths daily among patients awaiting permission to travel abroad for treatment, due to the lack of adequate care available locally.
He added that approximately 20,000 patients in Gaza have received official referrals for treatment abroad and are in urgent need of leaving the enclave for specialized care.
However, restrictions on movement continue to prevent most patients from traveling, with only limited numbers allowed to exit when border crossings are partially opened.
Al-Borsh warned that many of these patients suffer from serious and complex conditions that could be treated outside Gaza, but continued closures and restrictions are placing them at risk of slow death.
He further cautioned that the healthcare system in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly, describing the situation as a systematic undermining of medical infrastructure that could lead to a total collapse if conditions persist.
Al-Borsh also noted that the international community’s focus on broader regional developments has contributed to declining attention to Gaza’s worsening humanitarian and health crisis.
He stressed that the situation reflects a tightened blockade combined with a sharp decline in health services, placing thousands of patients’ lives at risk and prompting repeated calls for urgent international intervention.
The Rafah Crossing remains the primary gateway for more than two million residents of Gaza to access the outside world, including students, patients, and traders.
It is also a key entry point for medical aid, food supplies, and fuel. Since early 2024, the crossing has been under full Israeli control and has sustained damage during military operations.
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