MOH- Gaza warns Nitrous gas running out threatens to stop all surgical operations
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned against stopping emergency and scheduled surgical operations in all government hospitals, this halt took place due to the severe shortage of Nitrous gas since the occupation’s prevented its entry since the beginning of this year 2021.
The Director-General of Administrative Affairs, Mr. Mahmoud Hammad said in a press statement, Wednesday, that the available quantities of the Nitrous gas are only sufficient for the next ten days, indicating that the ministry, through the General Administration of International Cooperation, contacted many international bodies, including the WHO, to introduce Nitrous, but the occupation refuses to enter the gas.
Mr. Hammad pointed out that the Ministry of Health facilities need 120 Nitrous gas cylinders monthly, each cylinder containing about 27 kg of gas.
running out of Nitrous gas means certain death, especially for those who need urgent and emergency surgeries to save their lives.
Mr. Hammad launched an urgent appeal for immediate intervention by international organizations to pressure the occupation to allow the entrance of nitrous gas.
Every month, hospitals in the Gaza Strip perform about 5,000 surgical operations, between emergency and scheduled operations, all of which depend mainly on the availability of Nitrous.
Moreover, more than 2 million citizens in the Gaza Strip depend on government health facilities to receive health services and perform surgical operations due to the siege and the consequent rise in poverty rates among the residents of the Strip.