UN workers delivering aid to Gaza hospital describe ‘bloodbath’ in overflowing facility
Patients with trauma injuries were being sutured on the floor, limited to no pain management is available at the hospital, and the emergency department is so full that workers must take care not to step on patients on the floor.
Al-Shifa Hospital, formerly the most important and largest referral hospital in Gaza, is now barely functioning: the operating theatres and other major services are not working due to lack of fuel, oxygen, specialized medical staff, and supplies. The hospital is only able to provide basic trauma stabilization and has no blood for transfusion.
A handful of doctors and nurses, and some 70 volunteers, are working under what WHO staff described as unbelievably challenging circumstances in a hospital in need of resuscitation.
In a statement released on Saturday, WHO said that it is committed to strengthening Al-Shifa Hospital in the coming weeks so that it can resume at least basic functionality, provide critically needed lifesaving services, and serve a besieged people trapped in a cycle of death, destruction, hunger, and disease.
According to WHO, substantial additional specialized medical, nursing, and support staff, including emergency medical teams, are urgently needed. Basic humanitarian needs are not being met as tens of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in the hospital, which is experiencing a severe shortage of food and safe water.
Currently, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital remains the only partially functional hospital in north Gaza, along with three minimally functional hospitals – Al-Shifa, Al Awda, and Al Sahaba Medical Complex – down from 24 before the conflict. WHO has grave concerns about the unfolding situation at Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, which has reportedly been at the center of a military operation.
The UN workers at Al-Shifa Hospital were taking part in a joint UN mission, made up of staff from the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS), and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). The team delivered medicines and surgical supplies, orthopedic surgery equipment, and anesthesia materials and drugs to the hospital.
The dire situation at Al-Shifa Hospital underscores the immense challenges faced by medical professionals on the ground in Gaza. Dr. Sarah Thompson, a volunteer doctor from the WHO, expressed her shock at the conditions, stating, It’s a bloodbath in there… Patients are crammed together, laying on the floor, waiting for treatment. The hospital is overwhelmed, and we are working with limited resources.
Dr. Thompson’s sentiment is echoed by other medical workers who describe the hospital as being barely functional. Dr. Ahmed Abbas, a surgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital, added, We are unable to perform essential surgeries due to the lack of necessary supplies and specialized staff. The situation is dire, and without immediate assistance, more lives will be at risk.
The international community is urged to respond urgently to the crisis in Gaza, as the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital is just one example of the widespread devastation caused by the recent conflict. The people of Gaza are trapped in a cycle of death, destruction, hunger, and disease, and immediate action is needed to address their urgent humanitarian needs.
As WHO and other UN agencies work to strengthen Al-Shifa Hospital and provide critical medical support, it is essential for the international community to come together to ensure the delivery of essential supplies, funding, and personnel to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and prevent further loss of life.
The plight of the patients and medical professionals at Al-Shifa Hospital serves as a reminder of the urgent need for a lasting solution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The international community must work towards a sustainable peace agreement that addresses the root causes of the conflict and ensures the safety and well-being of all civilians in the region.
