The Director-General of Pharmacy in the Palestinian Ministry of Health Dr. Munir al-Bursh warned from the acute deterioration of the medications stock and the medical supplements in the health facilities in the Gaza Strip, noting to the shortage averaging 52% of the basic medicines.
Dr. al-Bursh drew attention to that the most affected category by the chronic shortage are renal failure patients where 39 children need blood transfusion lines . As he noted, there is acute shortage in Erythropoietin hormone which is used to treat chronic renal patients suffering from anemia, this shortage will force 1150 patients with renal failure and renal transplantation to perform a frequent blood transfusion.
Regarding cancer patients, Dr. al-Bursh said that there is a shortfall of 35 types of cancer drugs, which represents 62% of the therapeutic protocols for about 8000 patients, including treatments (breast cancer, colon lymph nodes and leukemia in children). Where the factor 8 and factor 9 shortage hemophilia factors for 125 patients, 50% of them are children. Where the shortage of therapeutic PKU milk also affected more than 1000 children, without which they will eventually become mentally retarded.
According to Dr. al-Bursh depletion of 68% of the primary care and chronic diseases drugs ; (diabetes and antihypertension). The Palestinian pharmaceutical sector is subject to constant follow-up by the United Nations and international organizations, pointing out that the ministry opened its doors to inform everyone about the medical reality in health facilities.
The Director-General of Pharmacy called on the international community for urgent and effective action to enable us to overcome this pharmaceutical crisis that has gripped the core of the basic health services.