Gaza city: The Ministry of Health has warned of the rapidly worsening shortage of medicines, laboratory supplies, and medical consumables, stressing that more than one-third of the medicines included on the Essential Medicines List have reached zero stock levels, while hundreds of other items have fallen below emergency reorder thresholds.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the Ministry emphasized that the lives of more than 4,000 cancer patients and thousands of dialysis patients are under threat due to critical medication shortages. The Ministry affirmed that the Palestinian government is making intensive, round-the-clock efforts to prevent the collapse of health services despite unprecedented financial challenges. These efforts include maximizing the efficiency of available resources, prioritizing urgent and essential healthcare needs, and securing as many medicines, medical supplies, and healthcare services as possible to ensure the continuity of care for citizens.
The Ministry also appealed to the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and friendly and sister countries to intervene urgently by exerting pressure for the release of withheld Palestinian clearance revenues and by providing the necessary support to the Palestinian health sector. Such action is necessary to prevent the collapse of essential healthcare services and the serious humanitarian consequences that would affect thousands of patients, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses, cancer, kidney failure, and other critical conditions.
According to the Ministry's data, the financial crisis has significantly weakened the government's ability to meet its financial obligations to pharmaceutical suppliers, stemming from the complete withholding of Palestinian tax revenues (clearance revenues) for the past 15 months. These revenues account for approximately 68% of the Ministry of Finance's income, resulting in delayed or suspended pharmaceutical deliveries, severe shortages of medicines for chronic diseases, cancer treatment, and intensive care, as well as disruptions to the strategic balance of medicine stocks.
Central warehouses have recorded severe shortages of several critical specialized medical consumables, most notably dialysis filters, which are indispensable for dialysis treatment sessions. A severe shortage has also been reported in surgical sutures, particularly the specialized varieties used in delicate procedures such as cardiac surgery and other highly specialized operations. This has affected the operational readiness of surgical theaters. In addition, shortages of cardiac catheterization supplies, including catheters and stents, have resulted in the postponement of certain interventional procedures.
Data from laboratory supply warehouses indicate a growing number of critical shortages and zero-stock items, reflecting a persistent gap between supply and consumption. The Ministry reported that 265 specialized medical consumables have reached zero stock levels.
The Ministry pointed out that the current crisis coincides with the ongoing humanitarian and health catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, where healthcare facilities are facing severe shortages of medicines, medical consumables, fuel, and life-saving supplies. This is occurring amid widespread destruction of hospitals and healthcare centers and the continued exhaustion of medical personnel.
The Ministry further explained that the worsening financial crisis and the growing debt owed by the Ministry of Health are placing substantial financial pressure on pharmaceutical companies, suppliers, and healthcare service providers, directly affecting their ability to continue supplying medicines and delivering services.
The Ministry reiterated that the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues threatens not only the government's ability to meet its financial obligations but also the stability and sustainability of the entire healthcare sector, including national institutions and companies that partner in delivering healthcare services to citizens.
The Ministry of Health called on donors and the international community to urgently intervene to provide life-saving medicines, sufficient to cover one year's needs. It also requested additional support for the procurement of other required medicines and medical consumables to ensure the continued delivery of healthcare services.