By Mariam B Dandachli | Staff Writer
The healthcare system in Gaza before October 7 was already fragile and faced many hardships due to the Israeli blockade and control of material that came into the Gaza Strip. However, after the war started, this system was on the verge of totally collapsing. Since the aggression started, more than 65,000 people have been wounded, though unfortunately there are not enough beds to help treat them all. Of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, only 6 are left that provide minimal first aid care.
According to the international law of wars, hospitals and ambulances are safe areas that should not be targeted; unfortunately, hospital floors and buildings with clear signs of the Red Crescent and medical staff and ambulances are being targeted. According to the WHO, the bombings have attacked over 79 ambulances and 94 healthcare facilities. Medical workers are forced to decide between staying and treating their patients or fleeing the hospitals for their safety. In addition, telecommunication systems are blocked and thus ambulances are unable to reach the areas that have been targeted. Medics have said that they follow the fumes of the smoke to locate the destination of the bombing.
Moreover, because of the unavailability of fuel to produce electricity, doctors are being forced to perform surgeries under the phone’s flashlight. Due to the limited amount of medicine found, doctors find themselves in ethical dilemmas where they are forced to decide which person gets the painkiller or medicine and who doesn’t. Physicians are forced to perform surgeries without the use of anesthesia, which further puts the patient in immense pain. Between the shortage of medical staff and medicine, the care provided to injured people is mostly first aid to prolong life, rather than improving its quality. Young children are having their legs and arms amputated because they reached the hospital too late or because of unavailable resources to save them; Save the Children stated that over 10 children lose one or both of their legs every day.
The unavailability of clean water and disinfecting products further worsens the situation since it encourages the spread of diseases and viruses. In addition, there need to be more beds for patients, thus hospitals are overpacked with many sitting on the floors. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that more than four-fifths of the 5,000 beds needed for injuries are not available and only one-quarter of the 77 primary health centers are functioning. 97% of the water found in Gaza is polluted and not fit for consumption; additionally, the absence of water has led to a drop in the average water consumption per day to 2 or 3 liters. According to health experts, 2 liters is the minimum amount of water a person needs to drink to be healthy and this is not found in Gaza. People are forced to drink brackish water, fresh water that is contaminated with seawater, or collect rainwater and boil it if gas is found.
According to UNRWA, around 1.9 million people, which makes up around 85% of Gaza’s population, are internally displaced. These people are forced to live in overcrowded tents with limited access to clean water, food, and protection from the winter’s cold. the number of displaced people in UNRWA shelters is 4 times more than their capacity, where around 12 thousand people live in these shelters across the middle and south of Gaza. All these factors cause the vast spread of preventable diseases, however, the situation is left unattended to. In children under 5, the number of diarrhea cases has increased from 2,000 cases per month to around 3,200 new cases per day. Over 115,000 have severe respiratory infections due to a lack of warm clothes and protection from the rain and cold. Additionally, 180 women per day give birth in extreme conditions that put them and their newborns at risk, and due to the minimal nutrition, the mothers receive, they do not have enough milk supply to feed their babies. Those who have complications and are forced to undergo c-sections are having it done without any painkillers, which increases the risk of complications.
It is crucial that a cease-fire is established, and that medical aid, staff, and mobile hospitals are brought into Gaza because the critical period has started after more than 100 days have passed since the war started. If aid, fuel, water, and electricity are not brought into the Gaza Strip, the number of deaths will increase exponentially due to death by famine, hypothermia, and infectious diseases. Under these difficult and inhumane conditions where the medical staff must work continuously with minimal rest, their resilience and commitment to their job and people are admirable and heroic. We mustn’t forget what is happening and we must continue to advocate for Gaza and remember its people in our prayers.