Medical staff in Gaza are struggling to treat patients due to shortages in testing equipment. At Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Bassem Hassan, director of the laboratory department, oversees medical tests that are crucial for diagnosing various illnesses, including kidney disease and diabetes. Without these test results, doctors are unable to make informed decisions regarding patient care.
The ongoing conflict and siege in Gaza have severely damaged medical infrastructure, leading to shortages of essential materials for diagnoses. Blood gas testing has been suspended, which is critical for cardiac and intensive-care patients, and there is a lack of blood-collection tubes necessary for clinical chemistry tests. Additionally, automated clinical chemistry analysers, which are vital for over 60 percent of laboratory tests, have ceased functioning. Some sterilization equipment and refrigerators for blood and plasma storage have also stopped working.
Hassan stated that tests are prioritized based on the severity of each case, with kidney, cancer, and heart patients receiving the highest priority. Laboratory test results are essential for determining medication dosages, monitoring treatment responses, and making urgent medical decisions. Without this information, doctors face challenges in providing adequate care.
As the third anniversary of the conflict approaches, more than 75 percent of medical imaging equipment in Gaza is out of service, with laboratory testing material shortages at 87 percent and a 74 percent deficit in essential consumables. The Gaza Ministry of Health has warned that these shortages and equipment breakdowns could lead to the shutdown of blood banks and laboratories, significantly impacting patients with critical conditions.
Marwan Al-Azaiza, head of the cardiology department at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, mentioned that due to public hospital shortages, some doctors resort to private laboratories if patients can afford the costs. In other cases, doctors rely on clinical examinations and available indicators, though these do not fully substitute for necessary tests.
Medical teams are seeking to coordinate with charities and health organizations to provide better care for Gaza's population. Currently, only five of the 18 CT scanners in Gaza are operational, and the remaining ones are operating beyond capacity. There are no MRI services available after the destruction of nine machines during the conflict.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, noted that medical teams are now forced to limit laboratory tests, X-rays, and CT scans to the most urgent cases, leading to difficult decisions about which patients receive immediate testing.
Yousef al-Athamneh, a 57-year-old patient from Deir el-Balah with kidney failure, expressed concern over the shortages of dialysis supplies and the potential for treatment disruptions. He emphasized the need for basic medical necessities to ensure patients can receive their treatments safely.
Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, reported that cancer patients are facing shortages of chemotherapy drugs and other medications, compounded by the destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which specialized in cancer treatment. The tightened siege on Gaza has made it nearly impossible for cancer patients to seek treatment abroad.
Overall, 350,000 patients with chronic diseases, including diabetes and high blood pressure, are facing medication shortages that threaten their treatment continuity and lives. Al-Daqran stressed the urgent need for guaranteed access to medicines, medical supplies, and equipment to prevent additional preventable deaths.