Ghastly Humanitarian Disaster Due to Lack of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Gaza Strip

Gaza- Basma M. Al-Kashif
Palestinian Ministry of Health warns of the lack of medicines in the Gaza Strip's hospitals, that give notice to Health catastrophe, whereas, 288 varieties of medicines and medical consumables were run out from its stores.

General director of pharmacy department at Ministry of Health Dr. Muneer Al-Bursh confirmed, during a meeting organized by government media office in Gaza on Sunday 27/3, that the Gaza Strip is dealing with 2.6 million $ monthly of medicines' needs.

Dr. Al-Bursh showed that the source of medicines is the annual tender or through donations, noting that in 2010, 47% of essential medicines reached to the Gaza Strip from the West Bank.

While the stores of medicines at Ministry of Health in Gaza include huge quantities of contributions, such as "Declofen", whereas, there are about 20 million tablets.

Al-Bursh explained that the ministry keeps up a strategic stock for three months for emergency, but all these quantities were ran out last year because of its continued use.
 
Furthermore, Director General for International Cooperation at Health Ministry, Dr. Mohammad Al-Kashif, confirmed that these drugs that run out are used in very important sections, such as care units, heart disease and reception and emergency and many important sections in hospitals, especially the Gaza Strip is always in an emergency situation.

Dr. Al-Kashif pointed out that some sections have to postpone operations because of lack of medical supplies, explaining that reliance on public hospitals up to 90%.

He also noted that some patients are allowed to travel abroad for treatment due to lack of one or two kinds of drugs, pointing out that giving the patients permission to treat abroad is an obstacle in front of the Health Ministry and Citizens.

Al-Kashif mentioned that the cancer patients need to 27 kinds of medicines, while 12 of them only are available in the Gaza Strip, indicating that some patients are suffering from disability due to lack of medicines.
 
He affirmed that Palestinian Ministry of Health addressed the donors through the European Union to provide medicines and medical supplies to Gaza.
 
Accordingly, Dr. Al-Kashif warned of Ghastly disaster at the health sector in the Gaza Strip, appealing all international and Arab institutions to put an end to the crisis of drugs.

In response to questions of journalists about the Health Ministry's preparations for any Israeli escalation in Gaza, Al-Kashif confirmed that the ministry has prepared a emergency plan for any attack on Gaza.
 
Moreover, he pointed out that in case of a new aggression Gaza hospitals do not hav a lot of e rooms for large numbers of wounded people.

Dr. Al-Kashif affirmed that the political situation causes a crisis in Gaza, noting that the drugs currently available is enough only for 30 days.