Gaza Herald- As Israel continues its violations in Gaza, patients with chronic diseases and cancer have suffered from deteriorating health, struggling to stay alive amid a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, as well as the destruction of healthcare infrastructure.
Around 12,500 cancer patients are at risk of death due to the depletion of 64 percent of anticancer drugs and the complete absence of early detection and follow-up devices, according to reports from the Government Media Office in Gaza.
The Office stated that 350,000 patients with chronic diseases have faced serious health risks, and 22,000 of them are in urgent need of evacuation from Gaza for treatment.
Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated in a segment labeled “A Humanitarian Window from Gaza” that the shortage of medicines has reached 56 percent, and 65 percent of medical supplies for patients with chronic diseases and cancer are also unavailable.
He added that patients with chronic diseases who are in urgent need of uninterrupted treatment in Gaza are estimated at 350,000.
Al-Bursh reported that the Israeli occupation has allowed 60 trucks loaded with non-essential medical supplies to enter Gaza, covering only 10 percent of the ministry’s needs.
He warned that the medical supplies entering Gaza for cancer patients are extremely limited, failing to meet patients’ needs and exacerbating the severe shortage of medicines within the treatment protocols.
He underscored that the destruction of Al-Sadaqa Turkish-Palestinian Hospital, the only hospital dedicated to treating cancer patients in Gaza, has severely impacted the healthcare infrastructure, warning that the severe shortage of medicines poses the greatest risk to healthcare in Gaza.
One of the patients expressing their daily suffering from cancer due to treatment interruption is Mohammed Kamal Abu Hadi, a child who has been suffering from cerebral palsy and leukemia for seven years. He was receiving treatment at Al-Rantisi Hospital before the war, and his health is now deteriorating, according to reports from the segment “A Humanitarian Window from Gaza.”
Another patient with kidney failure and prostate cancer stated that he used to undergo dialysis for four hours daily before the war, compared to only one hour now, which has led to the deterioration of his health.
Al-Bursh confirmed that Israel has destroyed healthcare infrastructure and medical centers, committing what he described as a “full-scale health genocide,” putting all patients at risk of a slow death amid the severe shortage of medicines, which is considered a humanitarian right under international law.
