Gaza Faces Imminent Crisis in Medical Laboratory, Blood Bank Services
DayofPal– The Ministry of Health in Gaza has issued a grave warning about an impending collapse in medical laboratory and blood bank services across the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Sahar Ghanem, Director of the Laboratory Department at the Ministry, said nearly half of the medical testing materials and lab consumables have stock levels that will not last more than a month.
Specifically, 48.7% of diagnostic reagents and 48.2% of laboratory consumables are running dangerously low.
'This sharp deterioration directly threatens the continuity of diagnostic and blood transfusion services,' Dr. Ghanem said.
'It comes at a time when the health sector is already overwhelmed by soaring numbers of injuries and an escalating humanitarian crisis.'
The crisis is further compounded by the targeted destruction of laboratory equipment by Israeli forces during ongoing military operations.
According to Dr. Ghanem, approximately 50% of hospital laboratories and 60% of primary care laboratories have been destroyed. In total, 514 laboratory devices are currently out of service.
Before the war started on October 7, 2023, 12 laboratories operated in hospitals across Gaza under the Ministry of Health. Six of these labs were completely destroyed, while two others, located in the European Gaza Hospital and Al-Durra Hospital, were forced to shut down due to evacuations.
Only four labs remain operational, scattered between the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Ghanem accused the Israeli army of systematically targeting laboratory facilities to cripple the health sector and prevent timely diagnosis and treatment of patients and the wounded.
In response to the crisis, the Gaza Ministry of Health is urgently calling on international and humanitarian organizations to intervene.
They stress the need for immediate support to sustain the minimum level of medical services necessary to care for the wounded and sick in the besieged enclave.
Without swift international action, Gaza's already fragile healthcare infrastructure may soon face total collapse, the Ministry revealed.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=65029
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
11 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Gaza Faces Imminent Crisis in Medical Laboratory, Blood Bank Services
DayofPal– The Ministry of Health in Gaza has issued a grave warning about an impending collapse in medical laboratory and blood bank services across the Gaza Strip. Dr. Sahar Ghanem, Director of the Laboratory Department at the Ministry, said nearly half of the medical testing materials and lab consumables have stock levels that will not last more than a month. Specifically, 48.7% of diagnostic reagents and 48.2% of laboratory consumables are running dangerously low. 'This sharp deterioration directly threatens the continuity of diagnostic and blood transfusion services,' Dr. Ghanem said. 'It comes at a time when the health sector is already overwhelmed by soaring numbers of injuries and an escalating humanitarian crisis.' The crisis is further compounded by the targeted destruction of laboratory equipment by Israeli forces during ongoing military operations. According to Dr. Ghanem, approximately 50% of hospital laboratories and 60% of primary care laboratories have been destroyed. In total, 514 laboratory devices are currently out of service. Before the war started on October 7, 2023, 12 laboratories operated in hospitals across Gaza under the Ministry of Health. Six of these labs were completely destroyed, while two others, located in the European Gaza Hospital and Al-Durra Hospital, were forced to shut down due to evacuations. Only four labs remain operational, scattered between the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. Dr. Ghanem accused the Israeli army of systematically targeting laboratory facilities to cripple the health sector and prevent timely diagnosis and treatment of patients and the wounded. In response to the crisis, the Gaza Ministry of Health is urgently calling on international and humanitarian organizations to intervene. They stress the need for immediate support to sustain the minimum level of medical services necessary to care for the wounded and sick in the besieged enclave. Without swift international action, Gaza's already fragile healthcare infrastructure may soon face total collapse, the Ministry revealed. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
a day ago
- Days of Palestine
UNICEF: Gaza faces death by thirst under Israel's deliberate policy of deprivation
DaysofPal – The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has sounded the alarm over a looming catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, warning that thousands of children are at risk of dying from thirst within days due to the collapse of water networks. The crisis, according to UNICEF, is the result of sustained Israeli policies blocking fuel entry and disabling basic infrastructure, rather than any logistical failure. 'This is a man-made drought,' said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, following a field visit to Gaza. 'The disaster is not the result of technical challenges; it's a deliberate deprivation policy targeting the basics of survival, foremost among them: water.' Elder stated that only 40% of Gaza's drinking water production facilities remain functional, and even these are on the brink of shutting down completely without the immediate provision of fuel. 'Diseases are already worsening, and chaos is intensifying,' he warned. 'This is not technical. This is political.' He painted a grim picture of life in Gaza under siege. 'Everyone I saw was carrying anything they could to restore water,' he said. 'Donkeys are replacing trucks at water points, and even the donkeys are slowing down, as they barely have enough food to survive.' Fuel shortages have paralyzed Gaza's already devastated health system, which depends on generators to run oxygen machines, incubators, life support equipment, and ambulances. 'Blocking fuel means the collapse of all means of survival,' Elder stated bluntly. UNICEF also drew a direct connection between the water crisis and worsening malnutrition among children. More than 110 children suffering from severe malnutrition are being admitted to treatment centers every day. 'Dehydration and hunger are now part of a deadly cycle,' Elder said. He also criticized the chaotic and dangerous conditions around humanitarian aid distribution, explaining that many of the so-called 'distribution sites' are located within or near active combat zones. 'There have been mass casualties because of contradictory decisions and lack of clear information,' Elder noted. 'When a certain area is declared a combat zone and doesn't open at the announced time, entering it can be deadly.' Elder emphasized that the situation in Gaza has reached an unprecedented level of severity. 'This is the most critical moment since the war on children began,' he said. 'There is a near-total blockade, humanitarian aid is marginalized, the daily killing of girls and boys goes unnoticed, and now a deliberate fuel crisis is cutting off the most essential element for survival: water.' He concluded with a pointed critique of the global response. 'We are not comparing ourselves to a vacuum, but to humanitarian systems that have proven effective since World War II,' Elder said. 'What's happening now is the exclusion of a humanitarian system that has served the world for seven decades.' Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with U.S. backing, has waged a relentless military campaign on Gaza. Over 185,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, the majority of them women and children. More than 11,000 remain missing, while a famine continues to claim lives daily. Widespread destruction, forced displacement, and starvation persist in defiance of repeated international appeals and binding orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the assault. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
a day ago
- Days of Palestine
500 Patients Die in Gaza Due to Delays in Medical Referrals
DayofPal– At least 500 patients and wounded people in the Gaza Strip have recently died as a result of prolonged delays in issuing medical referrals and travel permits for treatment, according to Palestinian medical officials. The crisis is part of a systematic targeting of the Palestinian healthcare system by Israeli forces, in violation of international law. Dr. Ahmad Al-Farra, head of the Pediatric and Maternity Department at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, reported that the hospital received dozens of severe and life-threatening injuries today following continued Israeli airstrikes. He warned that the hospital is no longer able to accept new cases due to overwhelming patient numbers and critical shortages of medical supplies and equipment. 'The Israeli occupation continues to deliberately dismantle the Palestinian medical infrastructure,' Dr. Al-Farra said. 'Hundreds of lives have been lost not only due to bombings but also because of bureaucratic and political delays that prevent urgent medical evacuations.' He also criticized the so-called 'humanitarian aid' being distributed by a U.S.-affiliated company with alleged ties to Israeli authorities. According to Dr. Al-Farra, these aid distributions have worsened conditions and led to additional injuries among civilians, rather than alleviating suffering. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 41 people were killed in Israeli strikes since dawn today, with many of the casualties being civilians. Hospitals across the Gaza Strip remain under extreme pressure, struggling to cope with the relentless influx of the wounded amid dwindling resources. Medical officials and human rights groups have condemned the blockade on medical evacuations and the targeting of health facilities, urging the international community to intervene and uphold international humanitarian law. The bloody genocide and humanitarian crisis associated with in Gaza continue to escalate, with no signs of reprieve for the Strip's embattled healthcare system or its vulnerable civilian population. Shortlink for this post:
