Severe shortage of life-saving lab supplies: Gaza Health Ministry

The Ministry of Health in Gaza issued an urgent appeal on Sunday, warning of a critical shortage of medical reagents and consumables needed for life-saving laboratory tests across hospitals in the enclave.

The ministry explained that the laboratories and blood banks unit has run out of essential testing reagents, including blood electrolytes, blood gases, complete blood count (CBC), and viral screenings. 

Read more: 'Israel' issues second evacuation order in Gaza within hours

The shortage is severely hindering the ability of medical teams to diagnose and treat patients and the wounded.

It revealed that, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), it has secured these urgently needed supplies, which are currently stored in the organization’s warehouses in the West Bank, but have yet to be delivered to Gaza.

The ministry called on all relevant authorities and international institutions to intervene immediately to complete the necessary coordination and ensure the safe delivery of the laboratory supplies to Gaza’s hospitals and blood banks.

Additionally, the latest reports from the ministry also said that two more people starved to death over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll of those dying from malnutrition to 422, including 145 children.