Space, medicine shortage forces Gaza hospitals to evacuate injured protesters

In the Palestinian Gaza Strip, many people injured during the anti-Israel protests known as "the Great March of Return" have to leave hospitals with unfinished treatment as the hospitals are too crowded to receive the large number of protesters injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers.

According to local officials, government hospitals in the Gaza Strip are very crowded with hundreds of wounded protesters over the past few weeks.

Starting on March 30, the mass rally is expected to culminate on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "the Day of Catastrophe."

This means the number of injuries is expected to climb, which will further challenge local hospitals' accommodation capability.

Hospitals in Gaza have already been suffering from lack of medical supplies, equipment, and electricity due to the blockade Israel has been imposing on the seaside territory since 2007.

Many of the wounded who did not receive full treatment had to leave hospitals by Thursday, a day before the new wave of mass protest, to make room for the newly injured this Friday.

Qassim al-Ashi was one of those injured protesters who were evacuated from Shifa hospital on the outskirts of Gaza city before being fully recovered.

"Doctors told me to leave only five days after I was sent to hospital although my condition was deteriorating," al-Ashi told Xinhua.

He added that he suffered from repercussions during treatment due to lack of medicines and medical supplies, which delayed his recovery.

Al-Ashi was wounded last Friday when an explosive bullet hit his foot during the anti-Israel rally and then underwent urgent surgery, including receiving blood transfusion.

"What's worse was the lack of antibiotic to alleviate my pains," al-Ashi said.

The young man said he had to buy himself the medicines he needed during his stay at hospital due to severe shortage of medicines there.

His 45-year-old mother, Rabab, complained that the purchase of drugs is an additional burden for them, adding that she fears that it will take her son long time to completely recover.

On Wednesday, the health ministry in Gaza warned the health situation in the Hamas-ruled territory is on the verge of collapse amid severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies.

Yousef Abu al-Reesh, deputy minister of health in Gaza, told a news conference at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza city that the ministry "passes through a phase that is the worst as a result of the worsening crises in the health sector."

Abu al-Reesh pointed out that the percentage of deficit in medicines reaches 50 percent, adding that there is a 27 percent shortage in medical consumables, and 58 percent shortage in laboratory materials and blood banks.

The Gaza border crossings with Israel have been affected by the clashes near the border fence, which has been closed since Jan. 30. It halted medicine flow into the blockaded territory.

The crossing closure has also dampened hopes of the injured to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Abu Reesh called on international and Palestinian human rights organizations to take their responsibilities by exposing Israel's "blatant violation" of the rights of patients to limit their access to medical treatment.

The health ministry said that 45 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 others injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers since March 30.

Seven government hospitals out of 12 receive emergency cases during confrontations between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, according to Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for health ministry in Gaza.

Al-Qedra told Xinhua that the seven hospitals are struggling to deal with so many wounded amid shortage of human resources and supplies for operations.

"Medicines at hospital stocks could run out within a few days, due to the high number of injuries we receive," he added.

He pointed out that the ministry has sent urgent appeals to international organizations to provide medicines and supplies to public hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization (WHO) official Mahmoud Daher warned of the gravity of health situation in Gaza due to the high number of injuries received by hospitals.

Daher stressed that WHO is making efforts to urge the international community to provide more aid to government hospitals in Gaza, as well as projects worth millions of dollars to provide supplies, medicines, medical equipment and emergency trainings.

He said the aid provided until now is not enough as budget for health sector in Gaza is over 40 million U.S. dollars.