Gaza (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director-General of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, received Paula Emerson, Director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory, and Taher Ibrahim, Director of OCHA’s office in Gaza. He briefed them on the deteriorating health conditions inside the complex and the growing scale of needs amid the continued influx of large numbers of patients and wounded people.
During the meeting, Dr. Abu Salmiya reviewed the most pressing challenges facing the complex, foremost among them the severe shortage of fuel and spare parts for generators. He also highlighted shortages of medical equipment, supplies and consumables, as well as the growing pressure on medical staff and services, stressing that the scale of needs far exceeds available resources.
The Director-General also briefed OCHA officials on the recovery phase and efforts to restore health services, explaining the areas in which the complex has gradually managed to resume operations. Despite the extensive destruction and limited resources, efforts are underway to restore healthcare capacity as much as possible.
The meeting also addressed obstacles to recovery, the growing number of patients and people seeking medical assistance, and the urgent needs required to ensure continuity of services amid worsening humanitarian conditions. The participants stressed that supporting the health sector is an urgent humanitarian priority and that restoring services requires sustainable supplies of equipment, medical supplies, consumables and other essential resources.
Following the meeting, Dr. Abu Salmiya accompanied the OCHA delegation on a tour of the complex, including a building that had been heavily damaged, the dialysis building, and the emergency department building, which is currently undergoing repairs. The delegation observed firsthand the extent of damage to the medical facilities and the efforts being made to restore them and resume services.
The visit came as the complex continues its efforts to transition from the emergency response phase to the recovery phase amid major challenges and growing needs, with the aim of rebuilding its medical capacity and ensuring continued services for patients despite the difficult circumstances.
Complex Faces Growing Pressure Amid Severe Shortages of Limited Resources
It is noteworthy that the reception and emergency departments of Al-Shifa Medical Complex received 17,071 cases during August, reflecting the immense pressure facing Gaza’s health system amid difficult conditions, limited resources and shortages of medical supplies.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director-General of the complex, said that the surgical departments received 9,921 cases, while the internal medicine departments recorded 4,253 cases. The obstetrics and gynecology departments received 2,897 women.
He explained that 973 patients were admitted to the surgical departments, while 688 admissions were recorded in the internal medicine departments and 718 admissions in the women’s departments. This brought the total number of admissions across the complex’s departments during the month to 2,379.
He stressed that these large numbers were recorded at a time when the health sector is facing extremely difficult conditions, severe shortages of medical consumables and supplies, as well as limited or damaged medical equipment, including X-ray and CT-scan machines. These shortages have further complicated efforts to cope with the growing number of patients and people seeking medical assistance.
The Director-General noted that despite these challenges, the continued provision of health services reflects the extensive efforts of the complex’s medical, nursing, technical and administrative staff, who are working to maintain operations and provide healthcare to patients under the most difficult circumstances.
