Doctors And WHO Call Vacciated Babies From Hospitals In Gaza Suffer From Serious Infections And Conditions

PRCS and WHO ambulance convoys to evacuate newborns from Gaza to Rafah. (Twitter/@PalestinineRCS)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) and doctors at Bersalin Al-Helal Al-Emirati Hospital, Rafah, southern Gaza said 31 newborns who were evacuated from Gaza were battling infections and serious conditions.

Eleven newborns are in "critical condition," WHO said in a statement.

The WHO said the babies fell ill due to a lack of medical supplies at Al-Shifa Hospital, as well as the difficulty of continuing infection control measures at the hospital amid Israel's ongoing attacks.

"We are testing all the babies and they are given the necessary fluids and medicines according to their conditions. For now, they are in difficult and stable condition," explained Mohammad Salamah of the Al-Helal Al-Emirati Sarin Hospital.

"However, this condition may worsen, especially considering we could run out of electricity at any time as long as the fuel does not enter Gaza," he continued.

The newborn parents are expected to be able to travel safely with the group. However, WHO says very few babies are accompanied by family members.

"Six health workers and 10 family members who have been sheltering in the hospital have also been evacuated," the WHO said.

It said this was because Gaza officials could not easily find close family members due to intense fighting between Israel and Hamas and communication cuts.

"It is known that the 31-baby evacuation mission is led by senior WHO staff, including a medical and doctor specialist, as well as representatives from UNICEF, UNMAS, UNRWA, including medical staff from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and their ambulances," WHO wrote on social media X.

Urgent:🛑Today, PRCS emergency medical services teams, in coordination by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), successfully evacuated 31 premature babies from the Al-Shifa Hospital. 🚑They were… pic.twitter.com/PHCIDau9zM

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) November 19, 2023

Urgent: 'Today, PRCS emergency medical services teams, in coordination by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), successfully evacuated 31 premature babies from the Al-Shifa Hospital. They were... pic.twitter.com/PHCIDau9zM