Gaza:The health system in the Gaza Strip is experiencing an unprecedented collapse, with hundreds of patients reportedly dead due to the ongoing war and Israeli-imposed restrictions on medical supplies.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, medical sources have indicated that hospitals throughout Gaza are struggling with a significant shortage of medicines. Currently, 44% of essential medicines are completely depleted, and 54% of medical consumables are unavailable. Critical supplies, such as insulin pens, chemotherapy drugs, immunosuppressants for kidney transplant patients, and intravenous saline solutions, are also lacking.
The situation has further deteriorated in terms of diagnostic and medical imaging services, with 74% of imaging equipment lost. The number of devices has drastically decreased from 415 before the conflict to just 120. Specialized services have ceased entirely due to non-functional equipment, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopy, and shock-wave lithotripsy. The number of CT scanners has dropped from 18 to three, mammography units from 14 to five, and C-arm imaging systems used during surgeries from 31 to 11.
The continued decline of the health system is placing thousands of patients and injured individuals at risk. Medical sources are urgently calling on international organizations and UN agencies to intervene to facilitate the supply of medicines and medical equipment necessary for the rehabilitation of radiology departments and hospitals.
Gaza's health infrastructure has suffered a comprehensive collapse due to direct attacks, the persistent blockade, and worsening fuel shortages, which have rendered most hospitals and health centers non-operational. Medical teams are also facing significant challenges in treating the wounded and sick. This crisis is compounded by the spread of infectious diseases and worsening malnutrition among displaced Palestinians, prompting ongoing appeals from international and UN bodies to lift the blockade and enable the delivery of critical humanitarian and medical aid to the region.