Common Ground News Service, April 16, 2009
Daily News Egypt, May 7, 2009
In the days and months leading up to Operation Cast Lead, Gaza Strip’s healthcare system was stretched to the point of tearing. Hospitals and clinics in Gaza found themselves without almost a quarter of drug items that comprise the WHO essential drug list. Various other drug items stood at critical levels. A shortage of medical supplies endangered the long-term function of some equipment, such as dialysis machines. Vital medical equipment was unavailable, and others had fallen into disrepair, while some sat in disuse as health care workers lacked the training needed to employ them.
If Operation Cast Lead proved to be the breaking point, it also illuminated where the responsibility lies. An ongoing Israeli blockade and, within Gaza, a health workers’ strike—due, in part, to the political tug-of-war between Fatah and Hamas—had placed immense strain on an already fragile institution. The pressures that left Gaza’s medical system unable to cope with a sudden influx of patients were both internal and external.
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