Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Gaza Healthcare System Severely Strained Amid Ongoing Conflict
Gaza’s healthcare system is facing collapse as a direct consequence of the prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas, now spanning 18 months. Overwhelmed medical professionals are struggling to deliver care as essential medical supplies dwindle. A recent BBC report followed Dr. Wissam Sukkar, a general practitioner with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), during her shift at a clinic, providing a stark insight into the daily realities of healthcare provision in the Gaza Strip.
A Doctor’s Daily Journey in Gaza City
By 7:30 AM, Dr. Wissam Sukkar, recognizable by her pink headscarf, navigates the war-scarred streets of Gaza City to reach her clinic.
“It took me about 50 minutes to walk to the clinic,” she recounted to a local BBC journalist accompanying her. The acute fuel shortage in Gaza has grounded most taxis, forcing long commutes on foot.
Despite the immense challenges, Dr. Sukkar affirmed, “With our limited resources, we are committed to maintaining our presence in northern Gaza during these incredibly difficult times.”
Hospitals Overwhelmed, Supplies Dwindling
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a grim reality: only 21 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially operational. A severe shortage of medical supplies is crippling the healthcare system, exacerbated by the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Dr. Sukkar points to the remnants of her former workplace, an MSF burns clinic damaged by shelling in the early stages of the war during fierce clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
Her team has repurposed an office in western Gaza City into a makeshift clinic. By 9:30 AM, as Dr. Sukkar dons her white coat, approximately 150 patients are already waiting in a tented area serving as a reception.
Patients Displaced and Living in Tents
“The majority of our patients are displaced individuals,” Dr. Sukkar explains. “They reside in shelters, even makeshift tents erected in the streets.”
Following the breakdown of a recent ceasefire, thousands of Gazans have sought refuge in this area, seeking safety amidst renewed hostilities.
The scarcity of food and potable water has triggered a surge in malnutrition and disease, ranging from gastrointestinal infections to scabies. The most vulnerable, the elderly and children, are disproportionately affected. Viral infections are prevalent among the first patients of the day, many of whom are infants.
“We are seeing numerous children suffering from upper respiratory infections and diarrhoea. In the overcrowded shelters, where many children are confined together, viruses spread rapidly,” the doctor elaborated.
One toddler is treated for mosquito bites with soothing cream. The lack of cooking gas has compelled families to resort to open fires for cooking, resulting in a rise in severe burn cases.
Overwhelmed and Underequipped Medical Staff
Within the first hour of the day, Dr. Sukkar and her three fellow physicians have already attended to dozens of patients. However, their capacity to help is increasingly strained.
“We are facing mounting challenges due to the overwhelming influx of patients coupled with the dwindling availability of medical supplies,” Dr. Sukkar stated, her voice reflecting exhaustion.
“We are also encountering complex cases, and we are unsure where to refer these patients because the health system in Gaza has essentially collapsed.”
The clinic has witnessed a recent surge in severely injured patients since the Israeli airstrike on al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City the previous Sunday.
Israel alleged that Hamas was utilizing a hospital building as a “command and control center,” an accusation Hamas vehemently denied.
Al-Ahli hospital, previously the primary trauma center in northern Gaza, is now unable to admit patients. The WHO confirmed the destruction of its emergency room, laboratory, X-ray equipment, and pharmacy.
Patient Transfers and Limited Resources
“My treatment began at al-Shifa hospital, then I was transferred to al-Ahli, and then it was bombed,” recounted Saeed Barkat, an elderly patient with a fractured femur, arriving at the MSF clinic aided by crutches.
He underwent surgery after sustaining injuries from Israeli artillery fire on his shelter late last year. Pins are visibly inserted in his swollen leg.
“I came here seeking any form of treatment and follow-up care,” Mr. Barkat explained, as nurses tended to his dressings and provided pain relief.
At midday, Dr. Sukkar’s inspection of the clinic’s small pharmacy revealed depleted shelves, causing her evident concern.
Israel enforced a complete closure of Gaza crossings at the beginning of March, citing pressure on Hamas to release remaining hostages. Consequently, no aid has been permitted to enter Gaza.
Critical Shortages of Essential Medicines
“We are out of insulin for diabetes, medications for epilepsy, even basic medicines like fever reducers,” Dr. Sukkar lamented.
“It is currently the season for skin infections, yet we lack creams and ointments for bacterial infections, and medications to treat scabies and head lice.”
The medical staff is currently rationing the remaining medical supplies.
Running on Empty: Future Uncertain
“We are striving to make our current supplies last for the coming week,” Dr. Sukkar summarized, “but we anticipate our stock will be completely exhausted in approximately two weeks.”
Dr. Sukkar returns to her consultation room, where a continuous stream of patients, primarily sick children suffering from coughs, fevers and stomach ailments, await her attention.
By 3:30 PM, the clinic concludes its operations for the day. The four doctors collectively calculate that they have attended to nearly 390 patients.
Dr. Sukkar faces the wearying walk home after a demanding and emotionally taxing day.
Upon departing the clinic, she contacts her family. Her thoughts shift to the well-being of her own children, who have endured displacement with her nine times in the past eighteen months.
A Daily Struggle for Survival
“Like every Gazan, I face a daily struggle to secure clean water and sustenance for my children,” Dr. Sukkar expressed. “We lack electricity, making it incredibly difficult even to charge my mobile phone.”
“Above all,” she continued, “it is profoundly challenging to maintain any semblance of hope. I feel trapped in an unending nightmare. When will this war cease?”
As of now, no resolution or respite is in sight.