[News] PCHR Calls upon International Community to Assist Healthcare System in Gaza Strip to Fight Coronavirus

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://imemc.org/article/pchr-calls-upon-international-community-to-assist-healthcare-system-in-gaza-strip-to-fight-coronavirus/ 



  PCHR Calls upon International Community to Assist Healthcare System in
  Gaza Strip to Fight Coronavirus

March 30, 2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR 
<https://www.pchrgaza.org/en/?p=14359>) is closely monitoring the health 
conditions in the Gaza Strip, and the healthcare system’s preparedness 
to combat the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and its possible outbreak. 
PCHR confirms that the healthcare system will not be able to deal with 
patients infected with the coronavirus if the number reaches a few dozen 
due to its compromised capacities necessary to treat these patients, 
especially since their treatment requires medical and laboratory 
equipment and special supplies and medications that are not available in 
hospitals and health centers in the Gaza Strip. This is in addition to 
the already fragile healthcare system in Gaza due to the Israeli closure 
policy and Palestinian internal division.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Gaza Strip 
preparedness and capacity to face the Coronavirus at the present time is 
only sufficient for cases up to 100 or 150; however, if the cases 
increase, the fragile healthcare system would be incapable of responding 
to large numbers of patients. The situation requires the intervention of 
UN bodies, international and local organizations to exert all efforts 
and provide the necessary equipment, devices, supplies, medicine and 
medical crews.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Gaza announced in its daily report on 28 
March 2020, that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Gaza 
Strip is 9 while dozens of samples are so far under laboratory testing 
and their results will be published as soon as they are ready. According 
to the report, MOH follows up the health status of 1,719 of the people 
who had returned from abroad at quarantine centers across the Gaza 
Strip, including 983 patients who require direct healthcare in hotels, 
health centers and hospitals. MOH added that the quarantine will be 
extended from two weeks to three according to the recommendations of 
experts due to international reports showing the emergence of the 
disease after the 2-week quarantine period ends. MOH confirmed that it 
suffers from critical shortage of drugs, medical consumables, laboratory 
and blood banks supplies, and limited coronavirus testing materials, 
putting MOH before complicated and unpredictable challenges.

MOH officials in Gaza said to PCHR’s fieldworker that there is acute 
shortage in MOH’s needs to combat the coronavirus. Hani al-Weheidi, 
Director of Information System Unit at the Ministry said that the 
healthcare sector in Gaza has only 110 intensive care beds for adults, 
including 78 at the MOH hospitals (Shifa 36, European Gaza 17, al-Aqsa 
10, Indonesian 9, Naser 6) while the NGOs has 12 beds (al-Quds 7, Public 
Services 5, and Military Medical Services 7 at Kamal Owdan Hospital). 
Moreover, the Private Sector has 13 beds: al-Hayah hospital (8) and 
al-Helo Hospital (5). According to the hospitals’ report, 72% of the 
intensive care beds are occupied at the MOH hospitals, i.e. if the 
coronavirus breaks out, only 22 out of 78 intensive care beds will be 
available in the MOH hospitals.

Ninety-three ventilators are available at intensive care units beds in 
the Gaza Strip, including 63 at MOH hospitals (al-Shifa 23; European 15; 
al-Aqsa 9; Indonesian 10; and Nasser 6) 9 at private hospitals (al-Quds 
5; Public Aid 4). Additionally, blood gas analyzers are only available 
at 7 hospitals: al-Shifa, Nasser, al-Quds, Kamal Odwan, Public Aid, 
al-Helou and al-Hayat; and it is unavailable at 3 hospitals: Indonesian, 
European and al-Aqsa.

Accordingly, MOH – Gaza needs to urgently equip additional ICUs, 
ventilators, and testing kits; as well as, protective gear to protect 
personnel, medications and medical disposables to combat coronavirus. 
MOH – Gaza has announced its immediate need for:

  * 28 types of medical disposables (emergency list A).[1]
    <http://www.moh.gov.ps/file_api/assets/uploads/files/7d526-a.pdf>
  * 9 types of medications specific for treating coronavirus (emergency
    list A)[2]
    <http://www.moh.gov.ps/file_api/assets/uploads/files/53dc9-a.pdf>
  * 6 types of COVID-19 testing kits, and laboratory equipment
    (Immediate need list A)[3]
    <http://www.moh.gov.ps/file_api/assets/uploads/files/a07e7-a.pdf>
  * Real Time PCR Systems Spectral Calibration Kit (Immediate need list
    B)[4] <http://www.moh.gov.ps/file_api/assets/uploads/files/9f658-b-.pdf>
  * 6 laboratory testing devices to enhance laboratory capacity
    (Immediate need list C)[5]
    <http://www.moh.gov.ps/file_api/assets/uploads/files/a506e-c-.pdf>

In light of the extreme danger threatening the Gaza Strip’s health 
sector due to its limited capacities, especially in terms of diagnostic 
laboratory equipment, medications and medical disposables, PCHR:

  * Reiterates that the primary responsibility for providing the Gaza
    Strip with medical supplies lies with Israel, and it should take all
    necessary and available preventive measures to combat the spread of
    infectious diseases and this pandemic, according to Articles 55 and
    56 of the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949.
  * Calls upon the international community and the World Health
    Organization to pressure Israel to force it to abide by its duties
    and to allow the entry of the Gaza Strip’s medical needs, especially
    medical equipment and devices necessary for COVID-19 medical
    examination.
  * Calls upon the international community and humanitarian
    organizations to provide aid and assistance to the Gaza Strip’s
    health sector and to endeavor to supply the needed medical equipment
    to Gaza hospitals to combat the spread of coronavirus.

-- 
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