The disabilities caused by the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip are not limited to the amputation of upper and lower limbs.
The Ministry of Health revealed that 1,500 citizens have lost their sight, while another 4,000 are at risk of blindness due to the shortage of medicines and medical equipment.
Dr. Abdul Salam Sabah, Director of the Eye Hospital in Gaza, confirms that the health sector is experiencing a serious shortage of medical supplies and equipment for eye surgeries, which could lead to a near-total collapse of surgical services, particularly for retinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy, and internal bleeding.
Due to the shortage of medicines and medical equipment, Dr. Sabah says that the Eye Hospital currently only has three disposable surgical scissors that are frequently used, which increases the risk to patients’ lives and prevents their survival.
He explains that many eye injuries resulting from explosions require medical supplies such as helium and fine sutures, noting that these medical supplies are “on the verge of complete depletion.” He adds, “The Eye Hospital is on the verge of declaring its inability to provide any surgical services unless immediate and urgent intervention is made by relevant authorities and international organizations.”
In this context, the head of the pediatric department at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis described the situation of children in the Gaza Strip as “catastrophic,” saying that an entire generation is being targeted. He noted that the hospital suffers from a severe shortage of essential medicines and nutritional supplements for pregnant women.
Since March 2, the occupation authorities have imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, preventing the entry of any food or health supplies.
This has seriously exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, especially since the quantities of medical aid allowed in before this tight blockade were insufficient to meet hospital needs due to the large number of casualties arriving from bloody Israeli airstrikes.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza previously announced that more than 37% of the list of essential medicines and more than 59% of medical supplies were depleted.
It explained that other items on the list of essential medicines are also at risk of running out soon, meaning that shortages are rising, exacerbated by the prolonged blockade.
Last month, the Ministry emphasized the seriousness of the deteriorating health situation, stating that hundreds of patients and wounded are suffering from a severe shortage of medicine, with their crisis exacerbated by the continued closure of the crossings.
It noted that health services are being provided in hospitals based on extremely limited stocks of medicines and medical supplies.
It also indicated that this shortage crisis is hindering the work of medical teams in providing emergency interventions to the wounded, and that patients with cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease are the most affected by this shortage.
It warned of the danger of medicine shortages, stating that “people are dying due to a lack of medicine and equipment.”
