When the world abandons Gazans, they have their own healthcare professionals to rely on—even when the Gazan healthcare infrastructure is on the verge of collapse.
In an authentic hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time.” In Islam, the predominant religion in the Gaza Strip, and the distinct Gazan culture, health is immensely valued. On holidays and other special occasions, Gazans always wish each other good health. Additionally, to pursue medicine is considered one of greatest paths one can pursue. Whether this is due to or in light of Gaza’s poor healthcare infrastructure, it is important that everyone consider how disastrous the healthcare system in Gaza is, even when not under bombardment/during times of relative peace.
The healthcare system in Gaza faces monumental challenges even when not under bombardment. In 2018, medical charities warned of “total collapse” of the Gazan healthcare system and the UN OCHA launched an emergency appeal, warning that Gaza was on the “verge of a disaster.”1 In 2022, it was also said that, while there was no ongoing war or conflict, the health sector in Gaza is “always on the edge of collapse.”2
High levels of chronic diseases, including cancer, are prevalent and exacerbated by the lingering effects of past conflicts. Accessing necessary treatment is an arduous ordeal for Gazans. Even attempting to do so is challenging, whether the patients attempt to leave through Egypt for surgeries or treatments unavailable locally or appeal to receive treatment in Israel, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem.
Israel’s blockade and repeated bombing campaigns over the past 15+ years have severely crippled Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. The availability of essential medicines is alarmingly low, with only 55% being accessible from 2019–2021. Patients requiring medical care beyond Gaza’s capabilities must navigate labyrinthine bureaucratic processes to obtain exit permits which are denied over half of the time.3 Many requests also go unanswered, forcing patients to repeatedly apply for permits crucial to accessing hospitals in other regions.
Children facing urgent medical needs often find themselves in distressing situations where their parents’ appeals for treatment are ignored or rejected. This leaves young ones to face the prospect of traveling to Israel alone for medical care or enduring the agonizing wait for their parents to be granted permission, all while their health deteriorates further. These circumstances underscore the dire state of Gaza’s healthcare system, where access to life–saving treatment is often determined by bureaucratic hurdles and political considerations, leaving vulnerable children—and innocents of all ages—caught in the crossfire of conflict and humanitarian crisis.
A significant shortage of vital medical equipment and replacement parts further strains the already stretched healthcare system. Disposable items like bandages, syringes, and plaster for casts are also in critically short supply, exacerbating the challenges faced by medical professionals and patients alike. Healthcare spending in Gaza is concentrated on medical capital equipment, medical supplies, lab equipment, and disposable lab supplies as there is no domestic production of medical equipment and supplies, resulting in a heavy dependency on imports in healthcare.4
Some seem to think the lack of anesthetics in the Gaza Strip circa 2023–2024 to be a direct result of the ongoing war; however, when Gazans went to hospitals such as Al-Shifa for stitches, it was common that their first question would be whether “binj” (anesthesia) was available. Whenever they were told yes and that they would not have to feel the needle as it entered and exited their skin, they would rejoice—they were one of the lucky ones!
References
- The New Arab. (n.d.). Total collapse of Gaza Healthcare “imminent,” warns Medical Charity. https://www.newarab.com/news/total-collapse-gaza-healthcare-imminent-warns-medical-charity ↩︎
- “[T]he health sector is always on the edge of collapsing” – medical aid for Palestinians. (n.d.). https://www.map.org.uk/news/archive/post/1331-athe-health-sector-is-always-on-the-edge-of-collapsinga ↩︎
- Beiraghdar, F., Momeni, J., Hosseini, E., Panahi, Y., & Negah, S. S. (2023, December). Health crisis in Gaza: The urgent need for international action. Iranian journal of public health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10903314/ ↩︎
- 75. (n.d.). West Bank and Gaza – Healthcare. International Trade Administration | Trade.gov. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/west-bank-and-gaza-healthcare ↩︎