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04-24-06,10:09am
GAZA, Palestine, April 24, 2006 (IPC) - - The director of Public Relations at Al Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Jomaa Al Saqqa, warned that the hospital might be threatened of closing within two weeks if the Israeli closure and international suspension of financial aid continued.
Dr. Al Saqqa also referred to the severe shortage in medicines and medical supplies in the hospital, adding that "if this situation continues, most of our departments will shut down in two weeks. Our storage of 200 medicines is about to run out, and we lack basic supplies like bandages and oxygen tubes."
He also listed a large number of medications that are lacking, including antibiotics, cancer treatments or medicines to suppress the body's reaction to transplanted organs, in addition to blood transfusion solutions, spare parts for CAT scanners, and kidney dialysis devices.
"I don't want to sound pessimistic, but we are heading for a disaster … have stopped operating on patients whose lives are endangered, and treat only emergency conditions," the public relations director explained.
"How can we treat so many people with so few means," wondered Dr. Abdullah Zaidan, who works at Al Shifa's emergency ward, which is often crowded because of treating incoming conditions from around the Gaza Strip.
"We asked for equipment from Israel, but we haven't received anything since the Karni crossing [the only commercial crossing point between Israel and Gaza] was closed. We now even ration the x-ray scans," he complained.
On his part, surgeon Redwan Al Hetu said that the humanitarian crisis have been there for some time, but it has exacerbated in the past weeks. He is interrupted by anesthetics expert Dr. Nahed Ghaben, who declared, "what can we do? The hospital will close and people will die. I have only a ten-day supply of anesthetics left."
Following the formation of the new Palestinian government by Hamas movement, the United States and European Union declared that they will suspend their annual financial assistance to the Palestinian National Authority, as well as all forms of cooperation, including the medical one.
Several foreign doctors and surgeons, especially French and Americans, have cancelled their visits to Al Shifa Hospital, where they were supposed to help treat patients needing delicate heart surgeries, because the hospital is supervised by the Ministry of Health.
"The cooperation of those doctors was vital to us, because their specializations are not present in Gaza," Dr. Al Saqqa said, adding that several cancer patients in the hospital passed away because Israel denied them access to Israeli hospitals for a more advanced treatment.
Under the pressure of the current crisis, some Palestinian doctors began thinking about leaving the Palestinian territories. Several doctors in many departments in the hospital admitted that they have become frustrated and even desperate, especially that they did not receive their March salaries yet.
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