In a joint UN mission, the World Health organisation delivers health supplies to Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa

A team led by the World Health organisation was able to send medical aid to the largest hospital in northern Gaza, Al-Shifa, stated WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebryesus on Saturday. The joint mission with the UN to assess Shifa included three other organisations- OCHA, UNDSS, and UNMAS.

According to the WHO, the team members delivered surgical and medical aids, anesthesia materials, orthopedic surgery equipment, and necessary drugs to the hospital. They also added that the hospital currently functions at a minimal scale with a mere handful of staff. The significant rise in admitted patients poses a major challenge to the hospital authority. Under these circumstances, they have been left with no option besides transferring critical patients to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital for surgeries.

Lack of Oxygen and supplies is making the situation worse in Shifa as the WHO declares the need for immediate resuscitation. In the coming weeks, reviving Al-Shifa has become a major issue for the organisation. As per the statement from the WHO, regular supplies of fuel, food, water, oxygen, and medicine will reinforce up to 20 operation theatres in the hospital. There were 24 operational facilities available before the war situation. At present, only 30 patients at Shifa Hospital can get daily dialysis amid the war situation.

WHO declares Al-Shifa Hospital a ‘bloodbath’

During the joint UN visit, the WHO team described the emergency departments of Al-Shifa Hospital as a ‘bloodbath’. According to their description, with every passing minute, the hospital is overflowing with newly arriving patients at the hospital. They also found hundreds of wounded patients, including new arrivals, with no pain management system available there.

Before the war began, only four hospitals out of twenty-four worked even partially and there are three at present barely functioning, WHO says.

The present Health Scenario of Gaza

Gazan health authorities under the Hamas government describe that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been wounded during the Israeli operation which claimed 19,000 lives. Most of the people who live in Gaza have been forced to relocate their places. Those who manage to survive Israel’s bombs and bullets are faced with the rapid spread of diseases amid serious scarcity of food as well as water. The situation is getting to such an extent that it seems disease could turn deadlier than Israeli airstrikes. Indirect health impacts from war may include cholera, diarrhea, and even contagious respiratory problems due to crowded living atmospheres as well as unhygienic water intake. 

As per a report provided by WHO, a sudden spike in cases of diarrhea among children under five has occurred. From November 29 to December 10, there has been a 66 percent increase in the cases of children to 59,895 and the remaining population has jumped by 55 percent, the report says. Concerns over Gaza’s situation continue to be worsened as the fight has no interval.

Acute shortage of food is also a major issue as winter rains have recently lashed Gaza washing most of the tents. A statement from the Deputy Director of the UN Food Program, Carl Skau reveals that half of Gaza’s population is starving.