Gaza’s Health Crisis: The Toll of War on Medical Facilities and Patients
Since the onset of hostilities in October 2023, Gaza's medical infrastructure has faced relentless attacks, culminating recently in the destruction of Al Ahli Hospital. This pattern of violence against healthcare facilities has resulted in the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting over 654 assaults on medical sites as of January 2024. Al Ahli, along with virtually all of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, has suffered severe damage, forcing the majority to operate under dire conditions.
Israeli military forces issued a mere 20 minutes for the evacuation of Al Ahli’s emergency department, laboratory, and pharmacy, justifying the attack by claiming the hospital was being utilized by Hamas as a command center—a claim lacking supporting evidence. While the evacuation spared lives during the bombing, one child tragically succumbed to the lack of necessary oxygen.
Before the escalation of violence, Al Ahli Hospital was a small Christian establishment but had transformed into a crucial medical facility in northern Gaza. Other significant hospitals have also come under scrutiny, such as Al Shifa, which faced allegations of harboring Hamas operations that were never substantiated. The landscape of healthcare in Gaza has further deteriorated, characterized by military sieges and the systematic dismantling of medical resources.
As of now, near half of Gaza’s hospitals have been repurposed into makeshift field hospitals, overwhelmed by a constant influx of patients suffering from war-related injuries. Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where Spanish anesthesiologist Raúl Incertis volunteers, epitomizes this tragic reality. Incertis likens the daily struggles of medical staff to bailing water from a sinking boat, grappling with mass casualty incidents as bombings continue unabated.
The alarming lack of medical supplies is exacerbated by strict controls on access to goods imposed by the Israeli government. Estimates from the Hamas-led Health Ministry indicate massive shortages, with 37% of essential medicines and 59% of medical supplies completely unavailable. To maintain operations, hospitals are forced to adopt cost-saving measures that compromise patient care, such as reusing equipment and managing critical supplies with extreme caution.
Electricity cuts have further hampered hospital functions, as generators are the last lifeline for many key departments. The WHO has underscored that the existing healthcare capacity in Gaza is drastically insufficient, stating that the few functioning hospitals are burdened with higher demand amidst a comprehensive breakdown of healthcare services.
The implications of this crisis extend beyond direct injuries from conflict, creating a public health catastrophe. Malnutrition and infectious diseases have surged, exemplified by the return of polio after a 25-year absence. Pregnant women, unable to access necessary nutrition, are giving birth to underweight and premature infants in alarming numbers.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 51,000 deaths and 116,000 injuries, a quarter of which result in life-altering conditions. Medical evacuations provide one potential solution, yet access remains severely limited, with families waiting months for permits. Tragically, urgent needs far exceed the capacity for safe medical evacuations.
Reports also reveal that more than 1,000 healthcare workers have lost their lives due to military actions, with recent incidents sparking outrage over the manner of their deaths. The loss of medical personnel and infrastructure has left Gaza's health system on the brink of collapse, forcing a reliance on improvised care where specialized medical services are almost entirely absent.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza showcases the devastating impact of war on healthcare provision, with each attack compounding the suffering of an already beleaguered population. As international entities monitor and report on these issues, the urgent need for a reevaluation of wartime protocols regarding healthcare security becomes increasingly apparent.
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