The Palestinian Health Ministry warned on Saturday of an alarming crisis rocking the healthcare system in the besieged Gaza Strip due to the shortage of fuel supplies that provide power for hospitals.
Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidrah said the crisis is expected to take a serious turn for the worse and will severely affect life-saving treatment at Gaza hospitals.
Al-Qidrah urged all concerned authorities to immediately step in and try to work out the crisis by mid February.
Sometime earlier the ministry said it enacted a “Plan B” which involves the redistribution of resources to more critically needed health assets.
Health authorities in Gaza have repeatedly warned of the possibility of delayed or canceled surgeries and inter-hospital transfers if no urgent action is taken. Patients with severe illnesses and those diagnosed with renal failure are at risk of losing their lives as a result of the crisis.
The health system’s fuel reserves will completely run out by mid February and if a solution is not found Gaza’s hospitals will be forced to close essential services.
Over recent years increasing shortages of fuel have created a real crisis for Gaza’s hospitals often leading to the closure of vital health services thus leaving thousands of patients without access to life-saving treatment.
