Gaza: With the ceasefire now in effect, the Gaza health sector faces immense challenges in recovering from the devastation wrought by over 15 months of Israeli aggression. The urgent task is to rehabilitate hospitals and health centers to restore medical services to the population.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), 34 hospitals and 80 health centers have been completely disabled, and more than 1,068 healthcare workers have been killed. The conflict severely impacted medical facilities, with hospitals and health centers becoming prime targets from the outset. The most deadly attack occurred when Israeli airstrikes hit the Baptist Hospital, resulting in 500 Palestinian deaths and hundreds of injuries.
The Shifa Medical Complex was raided twice, leading to the killing and arresting of medical staff and patients, alongside the destruction of parts of the facility. The Patient Friends Association Hospital was set ablaze during the invasion of Gaza City, and Al Quds Hospital faced severe damage and was later burned during a prolonged ground assault, rendering it unusable. Additional destruction occurred at Al Awda Hospital in the north and the Indonesian Hospital, both besieged and partially destroyed, leaving them out of service.
Dr. Munir Al Barsh, Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, mentioned to QNA that efforts to rehabilitate hospitals began immediately after the ceasefire. The priority is reopening hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, with Al Awda Hospital being the starting point, followed by the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals. He highlighted the necessity for international aid, particularly for completely destroyed hospitals like Abu Yusuf Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, the sole government hospital in the area.
Khaled Eid, involved in assessing the damage, called for a full rebuild to restore essential care. Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, Director of Field Hospitals, noted that the healthcare system is currently unable to manage the overwhelming number of casualties due to limited resources.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, took effect last Sunday, halting the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that began on October 7, 2023.
