Medication crisis is deteriorated by the depletion of 50 percent of the basic medicines, which means that more than half of the patients in the Gaza Strip are left without medication, beside shortage of 25% of the medical consumables and 60% of the laboratories and blood banks supplies. This shortage is serious and unprecedented and threats the entire health services. In these circumstances MOH would like to stress on the following points:
First: We hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the patients’ lives in Gaza and the resulting deterioration of their health and the poor humanitarian situations due to the continuation of the siege and preventing the entry of medicines and medical delegations to Gaza, moreover, preventing 45% of Gazin patients to travel outside for treatment.
Second: The total value of medication imports for hospitals and health facilities in the first half of this year 2019 was 12.8 million USD, of which 1.2$ million was from the Ministry’s warehouses in the occupied West Bank, this amount represents 30% of our annual medications need of 40 million USD.
Third: The deficit of treatment of 55% of renal failure patients, due to the shortage in Erythropoietin to treat chronic renal anemia, this shortage will force 1150 patients of renal failure and renal transplantation to receive continuous blood transfusion.
Fourth: Oncology patients have been unable to receive their treatment protocols due to 62% shortage of their medications.
Fifth: Maternal and child health service is the most affected by the medication shortage crisis with a 69% deficit rate, such as the Anti- RhD treatment which is essential for more than 450 women who give birth in Gaza hospitals every month, as well as the severe shortage of nutritional supplements for pregnant women and children.
Sixth: Shortage of factor 8 and factor 9 for patients with hemophilia for 125 patients, 50% of them are children. In addition to the shortage of the treatment of increased iron levels in blood in thalassemia patients.
Seventh: The inability of the primary health care centers to provide 69% of treatment used for chronic cases as (diabetes and hypertension).
Eighth: A decrease in the number of cardiac catheterization services and open heart surgeries by 53%, which increases the number of cases transferred for treatment abroad putting lives of these patients at risk under Israeli racist practices.
Palestinian Ministry of Health appeals to you all, for urgent and effective action to enable us to overcome the pharmaceutical crisis that has gripped the core of basic health services.
Palestinian Ministry of Health- Gaza