In Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, 14-year-old Ruwaa Muntasir Abdul Karim undergoes dialysis, her life dependent on the treatment. Her father, Muntasir, says each session is crucial, as any interruption causes severe fatigue and shortness of breath. Ruwaa’s weight has dropped from 65 kg to 35 kg, and her weekly dialysis sessions have been reduced from three to two. A kidney transplant, her only permanent hope, is ready, but the operation cannot be done in Gaza, and the family’s request to travel abroad has been pending for six months.
According to Gaza’s Palestinian Ministry of Health, half of all dialysis machines in the territory have stopped working due to a shortage of sodium bicarbonate. The number of hospitals able to treat kidney failure has dropped from seven to four, with at least one dialysis centre destroyed during the war. The ministry reports that Gaza had about 1,200 kidney failure patients before the war, but this number has fallen to around 700, with over 470 deaths due to missed dialysis sessions and a lack of essential medicines.
The World Health Organization estimates that the war has left over 43,000 people with life-changing injuries, including thousands of amputations. Physiotherapist Aya al-Shaltouni says prosthetics, wheelchairs, and crutches are in short supply, leaving many patients without proper assistive tools. Beyond the physical wounds, a deep psychological crisis is emerging, with many residents, like 22-year-old Hadeel, struggling to cope with the trauma of living in displacement tents.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf