Hospitals In Gaza Collapse Due To Blockades And Fuel Crisis

Illustration of abandoned hospitals (Photo: Freepik/wirestock)

JAKARTA The hospital in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of total collapse. The increasingly severe fuel crisis due to the Israeli blockade has forced medical personnel to take extreme steps to save the lives of patients.

One heartbreaking act is when several premature babies have to be treated in one incubator, due to limited power and medical equipment. At Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest hospital, Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia revealed that the current condition is very precarious.

"We were forced to put three to five premature babies in one incubator. They are in a very critical condition," he said, quoted from the Reuters page.

The main threat is not airstrikes, but a siege that limits the entry of fuel and medical equipment.

Without fuel, hospitals cannot turn on electricity, supply oxygen, or keep blood fresh in storage. This is a death that comes in silence. Not because of injuries, but because of a broken health system.

"The lack of fuel has seized the basic rights of citizens to receive medical treatment. The hospital is now like a cemetery waiting to be filled," said Dr. Muneer Albourg, Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 600 attacks on health facilities had occurred since the war broke out. Meanwhile, only half of the 36 hospitals in Gaza can still operate, which is also in very limited conditions.

Doctors warn that life support systems, such as intensive care units (ICUs), oxygen stations, and blood laboratories, will stop completely in the near future if fuel is not delivered immediately.

"Without oxygen, the hospital is no longer a hospital. We will only witness death without being able to do anything," said Dr. Abu Selmia.

A tragic condition also occurred at Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis. This hospital requires 4,500 liters of fuel every day, but now only has a stock of 3,000 liters.

The operation was carried out without electricity and without air conditioning. Doctors' sweat dripped into the patient's wounds as the room was too hot and stuffy. Hospital spokeswoman, Mohammed Sakr, called this an inhumane situation.

"We are fighting in the dark, and our patients will suffer the consequences," Khan said.

The Israeli military said fuel had indeed been sent to Gaza, but its distribution was handed over to UN agencies. Meanwhile, Israel accused Hamas of abusing aid and using hospitals as military bases. This allegation was strongly denied by Hamas.

In the midst of this attractive pull, civilians became the main victims. They lose access to food, clean water, and medical services.

"You can have the best doctors in the world, but without medicine, without electricity, without oxygen. It's impossible to save anyone," said James Elder, UNICEF's spokesman.

This conflict stems from Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and held more than 250 Israelis hostage. Since then, Israel's retaliatory attacks have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.

Almost the entire population of Gaza is now displaced, living in a state of hunger, homeless, and without access to health. Allegations of human rights and genocide against Israel continue, but are denied by the Israeli side.