Bethlehem/PNN/
ActionAid International said that 10,000 cancer patients are deprived of access to medicines and treatment, in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.
ActionAid said that the depletion of medical supplies and the health system inside hospitals in Gaza reaching the brink of collapse.
The group said in a statement that the sole hospital in Gaza specialized in treating cancer patients is the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which has stopped operating since November 1 after it ran out of fuel and was exposed to severe damage due to the ongoing Israeli shelling.
More than half of Gaza's hospitals were forced to close, while the others 14 hospitals that are still able to operate partially are currently operating at more than 200% of their capacity, and are suffering from a severe shortage of medical supplies, fuel, water, and food, in addition to a specialized staff.
The patient Amna, 52, was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer in 2021, and was received treatment at the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital. She said in a voice message: “This war on Gaza has destroyed my chance to overcome my illness," noting that, " the hospital was providing treatment and follow-up to all cancer patients, and despite its modest capabilities, we were able to receive services and treatment, but the hospital building was bombed and massively destroyed in the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.”
She added that Israeli occupation fighter jets intensively targeted Turkish hospital and completely destroyed it, therefore, the doctors were forced to move to Al-Najjar Hospital, which is a small medical center that suffers from a lack of treatment and equipment. Aman added, "with this aggression, things have become worse, and Al-Najjar Hospital barely has basic treatment methods, while cancer patients need special care, medicines, and treatments."
The group pointed out that before the aggression, about 20,000 patients applied for a permit to leave Gaza every year due to their need for specialized health care, as that care is not available within the Strip, noting that only a few people were allowed to leave Gaza and obtain life-saving treatment.
