Gaza's Last Hope for Cancer Treatment Now Closed
Cancer clinic in Gaza City forced to shut down following attacks
The devastating impact of ongoing Israeli violence in Gaza has claim yet another victim: the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, the last cancer treatment facility in the besieged region. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has confirmed the hospital's closure following severe damage resulting from an Israeli attack.
The European Hospital, esteemed as a vital lifeline in the decimated healthcare system of Gaza, was severely damaged on May 13, forcing its cease in operations. In his statement, Ghebreyesus lamented the loss of essential services, including neurosurgery, heart treatment, and cancer treatment, none of which are accessible elsewhere in Gaza.
Initially, Israel's military justified their attack as a "precise strike on Hamas terrorists in a command and control center" situated beneath the hospital. The accuracy of these claims, however, remains unverified.
The Destroyed Gaza Healthcare System
The healthcare system in Gaza is teetering on the brink of collapse, grappling with numerous challenges:
- Damaged Facilities: The European Hospital’s shutdown has halted critical services, following the destruction of other hospitals earlier this year.
- Resource Deficiencies: Intensive care units for premature infants lack essential equipment, such as incubators and oxygen supplies, and risk closure due to diesel shortages.
- Overloaded Facilities: Remaining hospitals are operating below capacity and are inundated with patients, leaving the system severely stretched.
- Interrupted Evacuations: The European Hospital's closure has further hampered medical evacuations, exacerbating an already precarious situation.
International organizations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the WHO have underscored the urgent need for the protection of healthcare facilities and a cessation of hostilities to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Source: ntv.de, raf/dpa
- Healthcare
- Gaza Strip
- Middle East Conflict
- Hamas
- Israel
- World Health Organization
- Doctors Without Borders
[1] The European Hospital was one of the last lifelines in the damaged healthcare system of the Gaza Strip, according to Doctors Without Borders.[2] As a result of the closure of the European Hospital, there are no services available for neurosurgery, cardiac care, or cancer treatment in Gaza.[3] Intensive care units for premature infants in the Gaza Strip lack essential equipment and are at risk due to diesel shortages, potentially leading to closures.[4] Remaining hospitals in the Gaza Strip are mostly partially functional and overwhelmed, with repeated strikes on healthcare facilities worsening the situation.
- The destruction of the European Hospital in the Gaza Strip, a vital health facility, has exacerbated the already precarious healthcare policy in the region.
- The shutdown of the European Hospital, formerly offering essential medical-conditions services like cancer treatment, neurosurgery, and heart treatment, has left no alternative options in the region.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the ongoing war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, as it directly impacts health policy in areas like the Gaza Strip, where healthcare facilities are under severe threat.
- The science and general-news communities are closely watching the situation in the Gaza Strip, where politics have led to the dismantling of crucial health infrastructure, potentially causing long-term implications for health and wellness in the region.
