DaysofPal- The healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of total collapse as ongoing restrictions, severe shortages of medical supplies, and extensive infrastructure damage continue to worsen conditions, health officials have warned.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director General of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, said in remarks to SND News Agency that the situation has deteriorated significantly, even after the recent ceasefire.
According to Abu Salmiya, shortages of essential medicines have exceeded 50 percent, while medical consumables are in deficit by more than 70 percent, rising to 86 percent in laboratories. In key specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics, and oncology, shortages have reached approximately 90 percent.
“These figures directly impact hospitals’ ability to provide life-saving care,” he said, noting that Israeli occupation is restricting the entry of medicines and medical equipment and hindering patients’ ability to travel abroad for treatment.
He warned that such measures amount to “a death sentence” for thousands of patients and wounded individuals.
The crisis is particularly acute for diabetes patients, with a severe shortage of insulin affecting around 11,000 individuals, including 2,500 children.
Hospitals are also facing a looming electricity crisis due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance supplies for generators. Several facilities, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, have warned that services could cease entirely without urgent intervention.
Abu Salmiya cautioned that any disruption to power supply would have catastrophic consequences, as hospitals rely entirely on electricity to operate intensive care units, surgical theaters, neonatal incubators, and dialysis machines.
“Hospitals may turn from places of treatment into places where patients face death,” he said.
Gaza is also grappling with a severe shortage of medical oxygen production. Only two central oxygen stations are currently operational, one at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, far from sufficient to meet the needs of all hospitals.
Any malfunction in these facilities, Abu Salmiya warned, would severely impact intensive care units, neonatal wards, operating rooms, and dialysis patients.
In addition, the lack of advanced diagnostic tools, including MRI machines, has significantly reduced doctors’ ability to accurately diagnose and treat patients.
More than 22,000 patients and injured individuals are awaiting permission to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. However, only a limited number, just dozens per day, are being allowed to travel, leaving many facing potentially life-threatening delays.
Approximately 4,000 cancer patients urgently require chemotherapy and radiotherapy unavailable in Gaza, while another 4,000 children need specialized medical care.
Abu Salmiya reported that deaths are occurring almost daily among patients waiting for treatment outside the territory.
Dialysis services in northern Gaza are also under threat due to a shortage of bicarbonate, a key substance required for treatment. Around 150 patients depend on these services, and any interruption could result in severe complications or death.
The conflict has caused widespread destruction to Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. Of 157 primary healthcare centers, 103 have been destroyed, while the remaining 54 are only partially operational.
In addition, direct targeting has damaged electrical and electromechanical systems, along with 25 out of 35 oxygen generation stations and 61 out of 110 power generators.
Despite the dire conditions, Abu Salmiya praised the resilience of medical staff, who have continued working under extreme circumstances for over two and a half years.
He called on international organizations and humanitarian agencies to take immediate action to save Gaza’s healthcare system and prevent a wider humanitarian catastrophe.
Gaza’s health sector continues to suffer from a severe lack of resources due to prolonged Israeli war and ongoing restrictions on the entry of medical supplies into the territory.
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