Last Cancer Clinic in Gaza Shutdown: A Devastating Blow to Health System
Cancer clinic in Gaza halts operations following assaults
In a devastating turn of events, the European Hospital in Gaza, the sole provider of vital heart and cancer treatments in the region, has been forced to shut down due to severe damage from Israeli military attacks, according to the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The attacks on May 13 left the hospital in Khan Yunis, located in the southern, sealed-off coastal region of Gaza, heavily damaged and inoperable. Israel's military had claimed a "precise attack on Hamas terrorists in a command and control center" situated in the hospital, although these assertions could not be independently verified [1].
The European Hospital's closure has left a significant void in the already strained Gaza healthcare system. Services such as neurosurgery, heart treatment, and cancer treatment, which were unavailable elsewhere in Gaza, have come to a halt. The WHO Director-General emphasized that hospitals should never be militarized or attacked [2].
In a statement, Doctors Without Borders referred to the hospital as "one of the last lifelines in the destroyed health system of the Gaza Strip" [3]. Following the European Hospital's closure, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis remains the area's only functional clinic, although it too has been attacked recently. Israel alleges that the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas uses hospitals in Gaza for terrorist purposes [3].
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has left the health system in Gaza in shambles. After a two-month ceasefire, Israel resumed attacks in the Gaza Strip on March 18. Since March 2, Israel has been blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to the region, exacerbating the health system's inability to cope with the demand for medical care [4].
The Impact on Gaza's Health System
- Infrastructural Damage: The ongoing Israeli attacks have caused significant damage to Gaza's healthcare infrastructure, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry. A total of 38 hospitals, 81 health centers, and 164 medical institutions have been destroyed, burned, or made inoperative [4].
- Operational Capacity: With the European Hospital out of service, cancer patients lose access to their treatment protocols, thereby worsening their health conditions. The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis is the only remaining operational hospital, but it too faces continuing threat, having been attacked twice in less than two months [2].
- Humanitarian Crisis: The situation in Gaza remains dire, with the health system struggling to meet the demand for medical care. The repeated attacks on healthcare facilities have resulted in severe shortages of medical supplies and personnel, contributing to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region [2][4].
- International Response: The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies have called for the protection of hospitals and medical facilities, asserting that they should never be targeted or militarized [2].
Sources:1. ntv.de2. raf/dpa3. Doctors Without Borders4. Gaza Health Ministry
- Hospital
- Gaza
- Middle East Conflict
- Hamas
- Israel
- Humanitarian Aid
- World Health Organization
- Doctors Without Borders
- The closure of the European Hospital, a critical provider of heart and cancer treatments, due to damage from Israeli military attacks, is a devastating blow to the health system in Gaza and has left a significant void in the already strained healthcare infrastructure.
- The ongoing attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza have caused significant infrastructural damage, with a total of 38 hospitals, 81 health centers, and 164 medical institutions reportedly destroyed, burned, or rendered inoperable.
- As the only remaining operational hospital, the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis faces continuing threats and has been attacked twice in less than two months, further straining the health system's ability to meet the demand for medical care.
- The World Health Organization and other international bodies have urged for the protection of hospitals and medical facilities, emphasizing that they should never be targeted or militarized, as these attacks exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis and deteriorate health conditions, particularly for patients with medical conditions such as cancer.
