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Critical medical crisis in Gaza

The Israeli PR machine would have one believe that all sorts of supplies are getting through to Gaza post the Gaza War over 2 years ago.

It's not true as AlJazeera reports on a critical health crisis in the still blockaded strip of 1.5 million people in a virtual prison. Needless to say the world continues to turn a blind-eye to the facts on the ground - although it would seem that part of the crisis stems from the on-going dispute between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in Ramallah.

"Human rights groups in Gaza are urgently requesting that international aid groups and donor groups to intervene and deliver urgent medical aid to Palestinian hospitals in Gaza. Palestinian officials say that Gaza's medicinal stock is nearly empty and is in crisis. This affects first aid care, in addition to all other levels of medical procedures.

Adham Abu Salmia, Gaza's Ambulance and Emergency spokesman, says the medical crisis is acute and near catastrophic levels for patients within the health sector of Gaza. If shipment of medicines are not replenished to Gaza stocks in the coming weeks, he says it will worsen.

Dr Basim Naim, the minister of health in the de facto government of Gaza, says 178 types of necessary medications are at near zero balance in stock. He says more than 190 types of medicine in stock are either expired or are close to their expiry date, which has forced his administration to postpone several medical operations.

According to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the shortage in stock represents 50 per cent of the total medicine on the inventory of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The shortage of medicine in the Gaza Strip goes back to 2006 - after Hamas won the majority electoral vote in the Gaza Strip - when newly imposed Israeli sanctions brought cuts to the budget of the Palestinian Authority, preventing or delaying vital medical aid from getting through to Gaza."

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