The Director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza warns of an imminent health catastrophe in Gaza as hospitals face collapse under the weight of ongoing Israeli bombardments and severe shortages of medical resources.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the Director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, described the ongoing health situation as catastrophic, attributing the crisis to the relentless Israeli bombardment.
Al-Jazeera quoted him as stating that every minute, a wounded person dies because of the severe shortage of medical resources.
He warned that the death toll in Gaza could double in the coming hours as hospitals are unable to accommodate the increasing number of casualties. The healthcare system, he added, is on the brink of complete collapse.
Abu Salmiya explained that Al-Shifa Hospital is facing a total breakdown of medical services. Morgues are full, and operating rooms are functioning at limited capacity to manage the unprecedented number of injured individuals.
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He noted that many children have suffered severe injuries, such as amputations and burns, that require intensive care that is unavailable. These are lives that could have been saved with even minimal medical resources.
At dawn on Tuesday, Israel launched intensive airstrikes on Gaza, which have resulted in 356 deaths and dozens more injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Strip.
The strikes targeted several areas, including the Maghazi refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, as well as a school in the Daraj neighborhood that housed displaced persons. The bombing killed 25 people, including women and children, who were seeking shelter.
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Abu Salmiya confirmed that Gaza’s hospitals, particularly in the northern parts of the Strip, now have only four intensive care beds, which is far below what is needed to treat the growing number of critically injured individuals.
The lack of adequate medical supplies, medicines, and equipment means that the death toll is inevitably rising. Thousands of wounded people, many in critical condition, are not receiving the care they need due to these shortages.
He described the heartbreaking scene of doctors being unable to save patients in urgent need of surgery, despite their efforts, because essential medical equipment and medications are unavailable. The doctor also pointed out that the continued closure of Gaza’s crossings for over 15 days has worsened the crisis, with no medical supplies or international rescue teams arriving despite repeated appeals from the World Health Organization, the Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 18, 2025
Vital medical equipment, including ventilators and dialysis machines, are on the brink of failure due to fuel shortages. This puts the lives of patients in intensive care at further risk. Abu Salmiya expressed his regret over the loss of lives in front of medical teams who are powerless to help. He stated that many of the injured could have been saved if basic medical supplies were available.
Hospitals are unable to accommodate all patients, forcing doctors to make difficult decisions about prioritizing care. In some cases, surgeries are being performed without general anesthesia due to the lack of necessary medications.
Regarding those trapped under rubble, Abu Salmiya confirmed that civil defense teams are unable to reach them due to destroyed roads and a lack of heavy equipment, leading to many people dying without paramedic assistance.
The director of Al-Shifa Hospital highlighted the helplessness of the situation, with scenes of children and women trapped under rubble becoming tragically common. Their cries for help, echoing from beneath the debris, add to the overwhelming sense of despair.
Abu Salmiya remarked that the current situation in Gaza is even more catastrophic than during the early days of the October 2023 war. While hospitals were already overwhelmed with casualties back then, the health system’s capacity has been completely drained by the unrelenting assault. Many patients with chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, are no longer able to receive treatment because hospitals are prioritizing the wounded.
He warned that Gaza is facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, calling for the urgent provision of field hospitals, additional medical personnel, and rescue equipment to mitigate the growing human toll.
The international community, the doctor stressed, must act immediately to save thousands of lives that are at risk due to the ongoing Israeli aggression and blockade.
In early March, the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreement ended, but Israel has not entered the second phase, leaving the war unresolved. More than 40,000 lives have already been lost since the start of the aggression on October 7, 2023.
(PC, AJA)
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