Khan Younis (Reuters)
Doctors confirmed that the severe shortage of workers and equipment at the European Hospital in Gaza is forcing medical teams to make painful decisions about who to accept, which leaves many patients without treatment, even though they suffer from serious injuries.
Doctors stated that the European Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza was designated to accommodate only 240 people, but it is currently treating about a thousand patients, while many displaced people are taking shelter in its corridors.
Plastic surgeon Ahmed Al-Makhalati said: “On many days we are forced to choose between patients according to priority,” adding that this means focusing on those who have a greater chance of survival, and abandoning those who are “in a bad situation and need a lot of care.” He added: “We lost many patients; Because we were unable to provide the service, and we did not receive any patient suffering from severe burns at any time. Because we know that the capacity of the intensive care unit cannot handle this matter.”
Al-Makhalati talked about performing amputations on patients who lost their entire families, saying that he would often burst into tears “because we are unable to provide care in the required way.” Facial surgeon Thaer Dhifallah complained of the shortage of even the most basic materials. “I would say that health care is in complete collapse, and it will take years to return to normal,” he said.
Tommaso della Longa, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said yesterday that nearby hospitals may find it difficult to remain open.
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