Gaza: “The wounded are in danger of dying in the next few hours”

Is the health system still functional in Gaza?

We are already witnessing the collapse of patient care. The medical staff can no longer treat people or admit new patients properly. Everything is being done in extremely poor conditions, with a shortage of staff, drugs and medical equipment. There are constant flows of patients and seriously injured people, with complex trauma wounds, burns, fractures and crushed limbs.

Al-Shifa hospital, the main hospital in Gaza, now hosts thousands of people who went there looking to be protected from the constant bombing. While Gaza is in the darkness, Al-Shifa is one of the few places that still has electricity, though the fuel will only last another 24 hours at most.

In short, without electricity, many patients will die – especially those in intensive care, neonatology and on respiratory support machines. Patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer, and pregnant women are also at risk due to a general shortage of medicines.

What do we know about the living conditions of displaced people in the south?

It has come to the point where water is our main priority.  Today, 60 per cent of the people in Gaza, more than one million people, are estimated to live outside without access to water and healthcare. No basic healthcare is available because the clinics are closed, and hygiene conditions are very poor.

In addition to those with severe injuries, we risk seeing a wave of illnesses linked to poor living conditions: illnesses like diarrhoea, respiratory and skin infections and dehydration can develop rapidly, and seriously endanger the most vulnerable, including women and children. Half the people in Gaza are under the age of 18. Yet there is no health system left to care for them.

What do you see as the priorities for medical support?

It is vital to get the hospitals back up and running. To do that, regular ceasefires must be guaranteed for medicines and fuel to be brought in on a massive scale. If we run out of anaesthetic drugs, surgeons will be forced to stop operations.

Immediate humanitarian support is needed for the one million displaced people. They need access to water and sanitation, as well as basic healthcare, before their health deteriorates dramatically.