DaysofPal- The director of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, warned on Monday that the territory’s healthcare system has deteriorated to its most severe condition since the outbreak of the war, citing acute shortages of medicines and the ongoing blockade on medical supplies.
In statements monitored by Palestine Online, Abu Salmiya said more than 70 percent of essential medications have been exhausted, including life-saving drugs, leaving hospitals operating with only minimal resources.
He warned that the crisis is worsening rapidly as seasonal illnesses and infectious diseases spread, resulting in deaths among children and elderly patients in recent days.
Abu Salmiya said further preventable fatalities are inevitable unless border crossings are opened to allow the urgent entry of medical aid, following more than two years of continuous warfare on the Gaza Strip.
According to the hospital director, only 16 hospitals are currently functioning in Gaza, all operating at severely reduced capacity under extremely difficult conditions.
He said 22 hospitals have been rendered completely inoperable due to destruction, along with 103 primary healthcare centers, cutting off basic medical services for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Emergency services have also been heavily affected. Abu Salmiya said 211 ambulances have been targeted, while 25 of Gaza’s 35 oxygen production stations have been destroyed. In addition, about 90 percent of blood and blood-component supplies have been depleted, placing critically injured patients and those in intensive care at serious risk.
As the healthcare system continues to collapse, an estimated 350,000 patients suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease are no longer receiving necessary medications, leading to worsening complications and daily deaths.
Cancer patients, dialysis patients, and those with long-term illnesses are among the hardest hit, with Gaza losing nearly half of its dialysis patients due to treatment shortages.
Since October 8, 2023, the Israeli occupation, backed by the United States, has waged a genocidal war against Gaza.
The assault has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and injured over 171,000 others, while causing widespread devastation to civilian infrastructure.
The United Nations estimates that reconstruction costs could reach approximately $70 billion.
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