19 Ramadhan 1435 / 17 July 2014
THE SAVAGE ATTACKS ON GAZA’S HEALTH FACILITIES: GAZA’S HEALTHCARE SERVICES ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE!
The incessant attacks on the Gaza Strip has caused at least 220 deaths (~40% women and children) and injured 1,450 (~65% women and children). The MOH facilities have not been spared of the savage assaults. Two hospitals, six clinics, three ambulances and a water desalinization centre have been damaged and the toll is increasing. The MOH has less than six days of fuel reserves to power hospitals, as attacks on the electricity lines have exacerbated the pre-existing power shortages and resulted in complete reliance on generators for 20 hours a day.
Even prior to the invasion, at the end of June, the Ministry of Health (MOH) central drug stores reported that 28% of essential medicine items were at zero stock and half of surgical consumables were at zero stock.
All MOH hospitals stopped elective surgeries three weeks ago to save resources and are struggling to cope with the deluge of emergencies. Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of Shifa Hospital, Dr Sobhi Skaik described the situation as impossible!
Dr. Ayman al-Sahbani, head of emergency in al-Shifa hospital described the gruesome situation at Gaza’s main hospital. “People admitted to the hospital come with shrapnel wounds or injuries resulting from the collapse of walls on people when their houses are bombed. Most of those who arrive dead, come dismembered. Some arrive with missing parts. Others are torn to pieces.”
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International, Doctors Without Borders, Nobel Peace Prize Winners in 1999, warned that the response to emergency needs at hospitals in Gaza could worsen quickly “due to already existing chronic shortages of drugs and disposables.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that medical services in Gaza city are on the brink of collapse as the Israeli military onslaught against the Strip continued.
The immediate priority of our humanitarian efforts is the resuscitation of the beleaguered health system made worse by the current invasion. Our estimates of the emergency list of medical & surgical supplies as requested by the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Gaza costs at least USD10 million. And this has not even begun to take into consideration the shortfalls and deficiencies inflicted by the chronic siege and blockade of Gaza.
Our joint endeavour is to provide basic and essential supplies for health care and help restore basic health services to the hospitals and clinics of the MOH of Gaza.
The 7 trucks that have entered Gaza the previous 48 hours have offloaded about USD200K worth of medical & surgical supplies. We are targeting a second convoy to deliver at least USD500K worth of essential medicines, medical equipments, surgical instruments and consumables.
Through our international networks, we have successfully purchased and stored most of these essential goods in Cairo, with the assistance of our partners in Egypt, Arab Medical Union (AMU), Islamic Medical Association of Egypt (IMAE) and PIMA (Palestinian International Medical Aid).
We further appeal to all our generous individual and corporate donors to help rehabilitate the struggling medical facilities in Gaza.
All forms of generous contributions are acceptable including Zakat & Sadaqah. Kindly find our banking details, for your banking convenience as attached below. Kindly email your corporate logo to relief@amueg.org for our display banners on the trucks.
May Allah reward you all abundantly for your prayers and contributions during this blessed month of Ramadhan.
Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
musamn@gmail.com
vpmalaysia@gmail.com
Chairman, Viva Palestina Malaysia & FIMA Advisory
A/C Name: PERTUBUHAN VIVA PALESTINA MALAYSIA
Bank: Malayan Banking Berhad
Block C, Damansara Offices Complex, Jalan Dungun, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Account no: 5-64324-601324
Swift Code: MBBEMYKL