Gaza Herald – The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned that cancer patients in the Strip are facing an unprecedented medical crisis as stocks of life-saving oncology medications have been completely exhausted, leaving thousands at risk amid the collapse of specialized healthcare services.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the ministry said cancer treatment has reached its most critical stage, with chemotherapy drugs, supportive treatments, and essential medications no longer available, while supplies of other vital medicines have dropped to dangerously low levels.
The shortage has forced medical teams to suspend chemotherapy protocols for patients suffering from breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, head and neck cancers, sarcomas, and other forms of cancer. Oncology departments have also been unable to accept new breast cancer patients due to the lack of necessary treatment supplies.
The ministry explained that the depletion of specialized medicines has made it impossible to prepare combined chemotherapy regimens, while the absence of immune-supporting injections required after chemotherapy has left patients highly vulnerable to severe infections and potentially fatal complications.
Cancer patients are also suffering from severe shortages of painkillers and palliative care medications, adding to their physical and psychological suffering. The ministry noted that around 4,000 cancer patients remain waiting for approval to leave Gaza for treatment abroad, out of approximately 11,000 patients referred for medical care outside the Strip.
The Health Ministry warned that the continued lack of cancer medications, diagnostic tools, radiotherapy equipment, and restrictions on patients’ ability to access treatment outside Gaza are placing thousands of lives in immediate danger.
It called on international and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to provide essential cancer treatments, restore access to specialized medical care, and prevent further loss of life among Gaza’s cancer patients, whose conditions continue to deteriorate with every passing day without proper treatment.
