Mohammad Zaqout, the director general of hospitals in Gaza, talks to Al Jazeera about the dire healthcare situation in the enclave, saying that the hospitals need urgent medical supplies and medicines, and so far, nothing has entered.
The Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Mohammad Abu Salmiya, reported that no medical aid has entered Gaza even 72 hours after the ceasefire agreement was implemented.
He noted that approximately 17,000 patients and injured people urgently need to travel outside Gaza for treatment due to the severe shortage of medical supplies and healthcare services within the territory.
He emphasized that the ongoing situation threatens the lives of patients and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling on international parties to provide emergency assistance immediately.
The medical sector in Gaza has been completely devastated by the two-year long Israeli genocide.
After the ceasefire, the full scale of Gaza’s destruction became clear. Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital was destroyed, leaving civilians without vital medical services and worsening their daily hardships.
The Director of Al-Awda Medical Association revealed that the shortage of medicines and medical supplies in Gaza has reached 70%.
He noted that this shortage severely affects the ability of hospitals and health centers to provide essential services to patients.
He added that the difficult humanitarian conditions and the ongoing blockade are exacerbating the crisis, increasing the suffering of patients, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
The Director-General of Hospitals in Gaza told Al Jazeera that they have requested the entry of medical delegations into the Strip, but Israel continues to obstruct their arrival.
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, the losses of the medical sector due to the Israeli genocide in Gaza exceeded 7 billion dollars in damage.
The Ministry stressed the immediate need for field hospitals and for flooding the Gaza Strip with all types of medicines, especially those related to chronic diseases.
