Today's Edition
AHMED SHAABAN (CAIRO) - Dr. Jamal Ismat, a World Health Organisation (WHO) advisor in the Middle East, warned of the critical health situation in the Gaza Strip, especially considering that over 11% of Gaza’s hospitals are completely out of medical service. Ismat told Aletihad that Gazan children are the most affected by the consequences of the siege.
He explained that infants currently in nurseries would face significant problems due to power outages and severe shortages of medicines, treatments, and nursery necessities such as tools, sterilisation, intravenous solutions, and single-use antibiotics, most of which have been directed towards the wounded. Moreover, there is a severe shortage of infant formula, especially for pre-term babies with low birth weight.
The WHO advisor pointed out that the lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip poses a fatal risk for all infants in its nurseries. This problem is escalating dangerously every day and will increase in the coming days with the ongoing siege. Another problem Gazan children face is the vaccination schedule against viruses and bacteria, which must be taken at specific times.
Otherwise, the vaccines lose their effectiveness in protecting children from various diseases. He noted that with the ongoing war, siege, and lack of vaccines or their safe preservation in refrigerators, and with more than 165 health systems in Gaza being targeted, the vaccination system in Gaza will become ineffective.
Ismat warned of other repercussions that have affected Gaza’s health sector and its direct impact on the population there and pointed out that there is a severe weakness in providing health, emergency, surgical, accident, and injury services. He warned that most of the services would be unavailable to the people of Gaza in the coming period. Ismat stated that Gaza is now in dire need of the necessary vaccinations for children, fuel to operate the hospitals that are out of service, and emergency medicines.
He praised the significant efforts made by the WHO in delivering medical aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing. Moreover, he urged for an increase in the number of daily medical convoys sent to Gaza through the Egyptian crossing, in addition to other humanitarian aid, especially medicine, fuel, and food.
