Shillong, October 20: Al-Shifa hospital, the primary medical facility in Gaza, is facing a critical shortage of fuel for its power generators, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that the fuel stock will last for at most another 24 hours.
As per IANS, the MSF emphasized the life-threatening consequences of this fuel shortage, particularly for patients in intensive care, neonatology, and those reliant on respiratory support machines. Patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer, as well as pregnant women, are also at risk due to a general shortage of medicines in the region.
The ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, which began on October 7, has resulted in significant casualties. According to the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry, as of Friday, 3,785 people, including at least 1,524 children, have died, with more than 12,500 others injured.
The MSF report also revealed that between 800 and 1,000 people are injured daily in the Gaza Strip, but this figure only includes those who manage to reach a hospital safely. Access to health facilities is extremely dangerous and complicated due to the shortage of fuel. Consequently, only the most severely ill or injured patients risk seeking hospital care.
Al Shifa hospital, one of the few facilities in Gaza still powered, is also treating victims from the hospital blast at Al Alhi Baptist hospital. Additionally, thousands of Palestinians are taking shelter at Al-Shifa hospital to escape the ongoing bombing.
Guillemette Thomas, MSF’s medical coordinator for Palestine, expressed deep concerns about the situation, stating that people seeking refuge there are in imminent danger due to the lack of medical attention.
The report further highlighted that approximately 60 percent of the population in Gaza is estimated to be living outdoors without access to water or healthcare. Basic healthcare is unavailable as clinics are closed, and hygiene conditions are deteriorating.
The situation increases the risk of various illnesses associated with poor living conditions, including diarrhea, respiratory and skin infections, and dehydration, especially endangering the most vulnerable, such as women and children. Half of Gaza’s population is under the age of 18, yet there is virtually no functioning health system left to care for them.
MSF emphasized the urgent need to get hospitals operational again and to secure regular ceasefires to ensure the delivery of fuel and medicine to medical facilities.