In one of the corridors of hospitals operating in the Gaza Strip, the pain is measured not only by the severity of the illness, but also by the lack of medicine. Here, chronic diseases become a daily threat to life, and obtaining a dose of medication becomes a matter of survival, amidst an unprecedented drug crisis crippling the already strained healthcare system.According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, dozens of types of essential medicines have reached zero stocks, especially medicines for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, in addition to a severe shortage of antibiotics, intravenous solutions and emergency medicines.The crisis is no longer just a temporary shortage, but has turned into a near-total collapse of the drug supply system, with hundreds of therapeutic items missing from pharmacies and hospitals.More than 80,000 diabetic patients face the risk of serious relapses due to a lack of treatment, while thousands of heart and blood pressure patients face the risk of fatal strokes as a result of medication interruptions or unsafe changes in medication.serious complicationsMaryam Farwana, a displaced woman in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, confirms that the interruption of medication or its unavailability at the times specified for it causes her complications that lead to her fatigue and severe exhaustion.Farwana told Safa News Agency: “Recently, due to the shortage of medication in medical clinics and hospitals, I was forced to reduce my medication dose by half, in an attempt to save some pills for other days.”She adds, “This reduction in therapeutic doses has led to a deterioration in my health condition and an increase in blood pressure and blood sugar levels.”She indicates that she tried to obtain the treatment by purchasing it from pharmacies and drug stalls, but she could not find it and faced the same words: “It is not available, and you should take painkillers.”
Pain and achesAs for Khadija Musleh, a woman in her forties, she suffers from a buildup of fibrosis on her lungs and high blood pressure, for which she has not found the necessary treatment during the past two months.Musleh told Safa News Agency: “During my last visit to the doctor, he told me that my specific treatment was not available in the Ministry of Health’s warehouses, and that another type of treatment should be used.”She adds, “The new type is scarce in the market and its price is high, so I was unable to obtain a suitable quantity to last for a few days, and I settled for a small number of pieces.”She adds, “This deficiency and changing treatments leads to the accumulation of fibers on the lung and their lack of improvement, which makes me unable to breathe regularly, in addition to high blood pressure and causing dizziness and a headache that never leaves me.”Earlier, the director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, confirmed that the health situation is becoming more complicated and worse with the continued closure of vital crossings.Abu Salmiya revealed shocking figures that reflect the scale of the disaster, noting that the sector lost about 48% of essential medicines, while the shortage of medical supplies exceeded 70%.He explained that this severe shortage has cast a heavy shadow on cancer, kidney and heart patients, who now lack even the most basic levels of healthcare. Gaza, Gaza patients, medicine shortages, health
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