Gaza Health Care At "Breaking Point" As Fuel Runs Out: WHO
The World Health Organization on Tuesday pleaded for fuel to be allowed into Gaza to keep its remaining hospitals running, warning the Palestinian territory's health system was at "breaking point".
"For over 100 days, no fuel has entered Gaza and attempts to retrieve stocks from evacuation zones have been denied," said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories.
"Combined with critical supply shortages, this is pushing the health system closer to the brink of collapse."
Peeperkorn said only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were currently minimally to partially functional. They have a total of around 1,500 beds -- around 45 percent fewer than before the conflict began.
He said all hospitals and primary health centres in north Gaza were currently out of service.
In Rafah in southern Gaza, health services are provided through the Red Cross field hospital and two partially-functioning medical points.
Speaking from Jerusalem, he said the 17 partially functioning hospitals and seven field hospitals were barely running on a minimum amount of daily fuel and "will soon have none left".
"Without fuel, all levels of care will cease, leading to more preventable deaths and suffering."
Hospitals were already switching between generators and batteries to power ventilators, dialysis machines and incubators, he said, and without fuel, ambulances cannot run and supplies cannot be delivered to hospitals.
Furthermore, field hospitals are entirely reliant on generators, and without electricity, the cold chain for keeping vaccines would fail.
The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to official Israeli figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that 5,194 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on the territory on March 18 following a truce.
The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, 2023 has reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry.
"People often ask when Gaza is going to be out of fuel; Gaza is already out of fuel," said WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis, speaking from the Strip.
"We are walking already the fine line that separates disaster from saving lives. The shrinking humanitarian space makes every health activity way more difficult than the previous day."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
Gaza Health Care At "Breaking Point" As Fuel Runs Out: WHO
The World Health Organization on Tuesday pleaded for fuel to be allowed into Gaza to keep its remaining hospitals running, warning the Palestinian territory's health system was at "breaking point". "For over 100 days, no fuel has entered Gaza and attempts to retrieve stocks from evacuation zones have been denied," said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories. "Combined with critical supply shortages, this is pushing the health system closer to the brink of collapse." Peeperkorn said only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were currently minimally to partially functional. They have a total of around 1,500 beds -- around 45 percent fewer than before the conflict began. He said all hospitals and primary health centres in north Gaza were currently out of service. In Rafah in southern Gaza, health services are provided through the Red Cross field hospital and two partially-functioning medical points. Speaking from Jerusalem, he said the 17 partially functioning hospitals and seven field hospitals were barely running on a minimum amount of daily fuel and "will soon have none left". "Without fuel, all levels of care will cease, leading to more preventable deaths and suffering." Hospitals were already switching between generators and batteries to power ventilators, dialysis machines and incubators, he said, and without fuel, ambulances cannot run and supplies cannot be delivered to hospitals. Furthermore, field hospitals are entirely reliant on generators, and without electricity, the cold chain for keeping vaccines would fail. The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to official Israeli figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that 5,194 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on the territory on March 18 following a truce. The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7, 2023 has reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry. "People often ask when Gaza is going to be out of fuel; Gaza is already out of fuel," said WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer Thanos Gargavanis, speaking from the Strip. "We are walking already the fine line that separates disaster from saving lives. The shrinking humanitarian space makes every health activity way more difficult than the previous day." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Dipika Kakar reveals weaning her 2-year-old son overnight was the hardest part of her cancer battle; experts shares why it's necessary
Dipika Kakar, the 'Sasural Simar Ka' actress, has been diagnosed with stage 2 liver cancer, which led to a gruelling 14-hour-long surgery earlier this month. Eleven days after being discharged from the hospital, the actor opened up about her experience for the first time on her YouTube channel. While speaking about the same, she revealed that one of the challenging aspects after her cancer diagnosis was having to suddenly wean her son Ruhaan off breastfeeding in just one night. Dipika Kakar opens up about the most difficult part after the cancer diagnosis While opening up about the hardest part on her vlog, which was titled 'Duaon Ke Liye Dil Se Shukriya', the actress got emotional and said the first thing she had to do, which, according to her, was the hardest thing for her, was weaning her son off in just one night. She shared that she had no other choice and was forced to do it, adding that she cried a lot that night. Dipika is married to actor Shoaib Ibrahim, and the couple has a two-year-old son named Ruhaan. According to Kakar, she hadn't anticipated that something like this would happen or that she would have to stop breastfeeding. Cancer diagnosis and breastfeeding The actress went on to explain in her video that now, with so many medicines going into her body as the treatment has started, it's better not to breastfeed a child in such a condition. But is breastfeeding not safe in cancer patients? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer during or after pregnancy, breastfeeding is often not recommended, especially during active cancer treatment. 'Breastfeeding, despite having innumerable benefits, is usually discontinued when the mother is on cancer treatment. Chemotherapy drugs usually have a higher concentration in breast milk, leading to increased relative infant dose,' says Dr Tanmesh Kumar Sahu, Consultant Neonatologist and NICU In Charge, Medicover Hospitals, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. 'These drugs usually have deleterious effects on the normal cell division of the baby. Radiotherapy, whether external beam or brachytherapy, can also decrease milk production during the treatment of breast cancer. The suckling effect of the baby might augment skin toxicity from radiotherapy in the treated breasts,' he adds. 'But during low-dose radiation therapy for breast cancer, breastfeeding can be continued from the untreated breast.' Why do you have to stop breastfeeding after a cancer diagnosis? The decision to stop breastfeeding after a cancer diagnosis primarily hinges on the mother's treatment plan. 'Chemotherapy and some targeted therapies can be harmful to a breastfeeding infant, as they may be present in breast milk. These substances can compromise the baby's health, leading to potential side effects or developmental issues,' explains Dr. Ashwini Rathod, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynaecologist, and Infertility Specialist, Ankura Hospital for Women and Children, Pune. Dr Rathod goes on to add, 'Certain cancer treatments may necessitate surgery, making breastfeeding impractical or uncomfortable.' Healthcare providers usually advise mothers on the safest course of action regarding breastfeeding, often recommending formula feeding during treatment to ensure the infant's well-being. What's the alternative for this? According to Dr. Rathod, 'If the mother has good milk output, she can bank the milk in a dedicated human milk bank by expressing her milk before the start of the treatment to be used later once the treatment gets over.' In a nutshell, breastfeeding should ideally be avoided during cancer treatment in lactating mothers. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
NDTV
10 hours ago
- NDTV
45 Palestinians, Waiting For Aid, Killed By Israeli Tanks: Gaza Ministry
Cairo: Israeli tank shellfire killed at least 45 Palestinians as they awaited aid trucks in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the territory's health ministry said, adding that dozens of others were wounded. Medics said residents said Israeli tanks fired shells against crowds of desperate Palestinians awaiting aid trucks along the main eastern road in Khan Younis, expecting the number of fatalities to rise as many of the wounded were in critical condition. A ministry statement added that the Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were rushed to, had been overwhelmed by the number of deaths and injuries. There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military on the incident.
