Gaza Herald – Gaza’s shattered healthcare system is facing critical shortages of medicine, medical supplies, diagnostic equipment, fuel, and spare parts, putting thousands of Palestinian patients at risk, according to Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex.
Abu Salmiya said shortages have reached 52% for essential medicines, 70% for medical consumables, and more than 80% for laboratory supplies. More than 80% of Gaza’s radiology, CT, and MRI equipment has been lost, leaving only one functioning CT scanner in northern Gaza to serve more than one million Palestinians.
Around 21,000 patients and wounded Palestinians urgently need specialized treatment outside Gaza, including 4,000 cancer patients who require chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and advanced diagnostic care. More than 10,000 injured Palestinians also need complex surgeries, including reconstructive orthopedic, neurosurgical, cardiac, and vascular procedures.
The crisis is also placing people with chronic illnesses in danger. Some 350,000 Palestinians with chronic conditions are not receiving their medications consistently, including roughly 71,000 people with diabetes. Among them are around 2,500 children with diabetes who need daily monitoring to safely manage their treatment.
Hospitals are also struggling to keep critical infrastructure running. Fuel shortages, failing generators, a lack of oil and spare parts, and shortages of parts for oxygen systems are threatening intensive care units, neonatal incubators, operating rooms, and emergency departments.
Abu Salmiya warned that without urgent action, Gaza’s already devastated health system will face an even deeper collapse, leaving more patients without access to lifesaving care.
He called for the immediate entry of medicines, medical supplies, fuel, generator parts, and oxygen-system components into Gaza, stressing that hospitals cannot provide adequate care while these essential supplies remain severely restricted.
