Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Ramallah, Feb 7 - Thousands of sick and wounded in the Gaza Strip face an uncertain fate today due to the collapse of the health system, caused by the Israeli aggression.
Hospitals still operating in the territory struggle to continue providing services but have become mere forced waiting stations for thousands of patients facing an unknown destiny, warned a medical source cited by the official news agency (Wafa).
The catastrophic effects of the "annihilation of health" have made the continuity of medical care a daily miracle and a major challenge for recovery efforts and the restoration of many specialized services, the source emphasized.
It also warned of the exhaustion of medicines and supplies in the sector, which have turned the simplest painkillers into a luxury that "cannot be afforded by those facing death every minute."
In this regard, it was revealed that they lack 46 percent of the list of essential medicines, 66 percent of medical supplies, and 84 percent of laboratory materials and blood bank supplies.
Cancer treatment, blood diseases, surgeries, intensive care, and primary care top the list of services affected by the crisis, it stressed.
At the end of last month, pharmacist Khaled Odeh denounced a severe shortage of medicines for chronic diseases in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli siege.
Cited by Wafa, the specialist warned of the lack of medicines for heart diseases, diabetes, blood pressure, and thyroid gland conditions.
Israel only allows the entry of specific types of blood pressure medicines and prohibits others, which represents a systematic manipulation of patients' health and the imposition of unjustified collective punishment, he stated.
Earlier this year, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of the Al-Shifa Complex, announced that hospitals in the territory are facing a very dangerous stage due to the increasing number of patients and the severe shortage of medicines, despite the current truce.
In statements to Al Jazeera, the doctor said that these facilities are operating at over 150 percent of their capacity, despite the "near-total lack of medicines and medical supplies." (Text and photo: PL)
