Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex: Patients Are Dying Before Our Eyes
DaysofPal- The director of Gaza's Al-Shifa Medical Complex has warned that the healthcare system in the besieged enclave is on the brink of total collapse, stressing that hospitals may be forced to shut down within days unless fuel is urgently delivered.
In a press statement, Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya said healthcare services have effectively collapsed, with medical teams forced to choose between patients due to extreme shortages.
'Patients are dying before our eyes because we simply lack the resources to treat them,' he said. 'Our capabilities are virtually nonexistent,' he added, noting that several people have died because essential care could not be provided.
Dr. Abu Salmiya described the health sector's condition as the worst deterioration it has ever faced amid a catastrophic situation.
Meanwhile, the deputy coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Gaza echoed the alarm, saying the situation is 'beyond catastrophic.' He highlighted that medical teams struggle to move within the Strip, severely impacting humanitarian operations. He stressed the urgent need to reopen border crossings and allow medical supplies into Gaza.
For nearly two months, the Israeli occupation has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into the Strip. On March 2, it halted all aid through the Kerem Shalom, Erez, and Zikim crossings, bringing the flow of relief materials and fuel to a complete standstill.
With unwavering U.S. support, the Israeli occupation has since escalated what Palestinian health officials and rights groups describe as acts of genocide, leaving over 170,000 Palestinians killed or injured—most of them women and children—and more than 11,000 missing under the rubble.
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