Gaza hospitals face 52% drug shortage, 71% medical supply gap
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Gaza faces a 52% shortage of essential medicines and a 71% shortfall in medical supplies.
- 'Israeli' restrictions on aid deliveries leave hospitals operating far below minimum needs.
Gaza’s Health Ministry warned of a critical deterioration in hospital stocks, saying shortages have reached 52% for essential medicines and 71% for medical supplies after two years of 'Israeli' war and a tight blockade.
In a statement issued after a press conference at Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City, the ministry said the health system is undergoing “dangerous and unprecedented depletion”, sharply reducing its ability to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services.
Hundreds of medicines depleted
The ministry said 321 essential drug types have completely run out in its warehouses, alongside 710 medical supply items at zero stock.
Read more: “1.6 million in Gaza face acute hunger”, UNRWA chief says
Shortages in emergency and intensive care services stand at 38 percent, threatening to deprive more than 900,000 patients of care, including emergency treatment, surgeries, and intensive care admissions.
Kidney care has been heavily affected, with 650 dialysis patients unable to access an estimated 7,823 sessions per month due to supply gaps.
Cancer and surgery services halted
The ministry reported that shortages in oncology drugs have reached 70%, depriving about 1,000 cancer patients of treatment and contributing to deaths among them.
Read more: New ‘Israeli’ law sparks alarm over Aqsa Mosque status quo
Cardiac catheterization and open-heart surgeries have completely stopped because of a total lack of medicines and supplies. Limited cardiac services are now reserved only for life-saving cases.
About 99% of scheduled orthopedic surgeries have been canceled because of the absence of bone fixators and other essential materials. Specialized eye surgeries are also largely suspended, with basic examination drugs, including retinal dilation drops, unavailable.
Labs and primary care strained
Nearly 59% of essential laboratory tests are unavailable, including blood counts, electrolyte tests, blood typing, bacterial cultures, and tests critical for kidney failure patients.
The ministry said 62% of primary health care medicines are missing, leaving nearly 288,000 patients without adequate treatment and raising the risk of fatal strokes and heart attacks due to lack of timely intervention.
Aid restrictions blamed
The Health Ministry said 'Israel' continues to allow fewer than 30% of the medical aid trucks required each month to enter the Gaza Strip, adding that the limited supplies that do arrive often do not match actual needs.
It urged international actors to take urgent action to ensure regular entry of medicines and medical supplies and to pressure 'Israel' to lift restrictions, warning that further delays could push the health system toward total collapse.
Since October 8, 2023, 'Israel' has waged genocidal crimes in Gaza, killing about 71,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, who the ministry describes as martyrs, and wounding more than 171,000 others. Despite the end of the war, Gaza officials say 'Israel' continues to violate ceasefire commitments by blocking agreed medical aid deliveries.
