Last Cancer Treatment Hospital in Gaza Shut Down Amidst Military Strikes
Health facility specialized in cancer treatment in Gaza Strip halts operations - Cancer hospital in Gaza permanently shuts down, leaving thousands without critical care services
Hey there, in Gaza Strip, the last hospital for cancer treatment, the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis, has come to a halt after an Israeli military strike on Tuesday. WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom, described the situation as "severely damaged and inaccessible." The WHO team evacuated the staff, but a striking incident occurred just before their mission was hit. Tedros urged for the protection of health facilities in conflict zones, stating, "They must never be militarized or attacked."
Medical charity, Doctors Without Borders, underlined the gravity of the European Hospital's closure. They regarded it as one of the last remaining hopes in the shattered health system of the Gaza Strip. With Nasser Hospital, the only functioning clinic in Khan Yunis, running low on capacity after being attacked two times in less than two months, the healthcare situation is precarious.
Israel restarted its offensive in the Gaza Strip on March 18, following a two-month cease-fire. In early May, Israel's security cabinet authorized an expansion of the offensive and a plan for the "conquest" of Gaza Strip. Since March 2, Israel has also been blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.
The harsh conditions have led to severe shortages in chemotherapy drugs and electricity necessary for radiation equipment, making cancer treatment near impossible even if facilities could operate. Over a thousand cancer patients in Gaza have reportedly had their treatment interrupted due to these circumstances.
In short, after the WHO hospital halted operations due to the Israeli strike, Gaza's cancer treatment capacity has effectively collapsed, leaving thousands of patients without access to life-saving care amid a crumbling healthcare infrastructure and ongoing conflict. Get ready, folks, this is a shit show.
- Who can provide the necessary cancer treatment for patients in Gaza, now that the last hospital, the Gaza European Hospital, has been shut down?
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and medical charity Doctors Without Borders have emphasized the importance of protecting health facilities in war and conflict zones, such as the one in Gaza, which has been severely damaged amidst military strikes.
- As the healthcare infrastructure in Gaza continues to suffer from shortages in chemotherapy drugs and electricity due to ongoing conflict and blocked humanitarian aid deliveries, patients with medical conditions like cancer are finding it nearly impossible to receive treatment.
- The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom, has urged all parties involved in the ongoing conflict to ensure the protection of health facilities in Gaza, stressing that they must never be militarized or attacked, especially during war and conflicts.
