Ramallah, Palestinian Minister of Health Dr. Mai Al Kaila said on Sunday that 23 ambulance vehicles have been exposed to shelling since the start of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on Gaza, with the total of assaults on medical practitioners reaching 79.
During a press conference, Al Kaila added that Beit Hanoun Hospital has gone out of service since the second day of the aggression, along with Al Durrah Children’s Hospital, which has become inoperable because it was exposed to massive shells from the internationally banned white phosphorus, with all hospitals experiencing a severe shortage of a variety of medical essentials.
She underlined that there are 1400 patients suffering from kidney failure who are in desperate need of dialysis and are unable to reach out to hospitals since these hospitals, per se, are experiencing medicine shortages, adding that cancer patients cannot obtain the required treatment, though most of them receive treatment in the West Bank hospital, outlining that the persisten
t aggression means aggravation of their health conditions.
Al Kaila pointed out that 5500 pregnant women are waiting to give birth this month from a total of 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza Strip, indicating that they are exposed to risks of being unable to safely give birth given the Israeli unabated aggression, outlining that the death toll of martyrs due to the Israeli aggression on Gaza is not the final figure, because a substantial number of victims are under the rubbles of buildings due to shelling while attempts are being made to retrieve them despite the lack of potential.
The Ministry of Health has prepared all health and medical essentials to be delivered to Gaza, however, the Israeli occupation’s authorities have hitherto rejected the delivery of these medical essentials to the strip, she said.
Al Kaila warned of the potential outbreak of epidemics due to the shortage of water compounded by the high population densities. She appealed to the international community to immediately act to protect hea
lth institutions and medical practitioners, as well as ramp up pressure on the Israeli occupation’s authority to deliver the medicines and health essentials.
Source: Qatar News Agency