Thousands of patients in Gaza waiting for an emergency medical evacuation

World Health Organization Monday (WHO) Said representative rick peeperkorn UN news He saw the desperate conditions at Al-Ahlija before the attack, and serious limitations of movement that prevents thousands of evacuating for medical treatment outside Gaza.

“I was in Gaza a few weeks ago and I came out in early March, just before the help of the help and attacks were starting again.

When I was there, we organized polio vaccinations and Medevacs (medical evacuation) during the breaking fire, and we ceased to primary medicine and medical supplies. It was also the only time in Gaza, there was a suitable food supplies.

She pulled out almost the air of hope among all the misery. I was before, like Rafah in the south or Jabalia in the north, they were extremely devastant hermits, but people, including our staff, returned to their homes, trying to fix the destroyed houses or building improvised camps. You saw commercial activities restarted and choosing food.

But, of course, with a blockade, food, water and essential drugs they be very quickly running out. Although we stopped during the truce, we are now critical low in stock and challenging that hospitals are even open.

We are completely running out of therapeutic milk, antibiotics, for the treatment of heavy infections, trauma painkillers, insulin, emergency spare parts, oxygen tanks, etc.

A few days before the attack on Al Ahli, they told us that the hospital was already overwhelmed because it was one of the key hospitals in the north for trauma (those who suffered serious and dangerous injuries) and were forced to surgery in accordance with questionable sterile conditions.

There were enough surgical dresses, curtains or gloves. They even had to wear the same gloves from one operation to another. Due to the lack of equipment, operations could last for hours, increasing the risk of permanent disability or amputation.

The staff requested us from the stock we have in our two warehouses in the south of Gaza, but we were not allowed.

This help block should be raised and we need to return to the arrangement in which we can have humanitarian corridors throughout the gauze without being rejected or deferred entry. Even when the war continues, humanitarian supplies should be allowed and assistance to workers should be able to do their job.

Today I talked to my team in Gaza, who were at the Al-Shifa Hospital. Al-Shifa, now the main surgical and trauma center for the north, is completely overwhelmed and insufficiently supported. We look at the opportunity to get some patients from Al-Shifa to the south, but everything is complex.

Far too little patients managed to leave Gaza for urgent care, so desperately needed them. We estimate that 12,000 patients need medical evacuation, but we could only evacuate 121 people, including 73 children.

We invite the current continuation of medical evacuation through all possible routes. That should happen now. “