Gaza Faces COVID-19 Crisis With Health System Near Collapse

Medical workers in the Gaza Strip face a severe shortage of equipment to battle the quickly spreading COVID-19 outbreak as a rapid rise in infections in the area has reached a “catastrophic stage.” Health officials have warned that the blockaded Palestinian enclave’s medical system is likely to collapse soon. COVID is spreading exponentially in Gaza – one of the most crowded places on Earth – mainly in refugee camps, and the health ministry has warned of “disastrous” implications.

RELATED:

Gaza Registers Its 2nd Death From COVID-19, 9 Local Infections

The Gaza Strip – a 100km-long (45-mile) coastal area home to more than 2.1 million Palestinians – was one of the last regions to be hit by COVID-19 worldwide. On August 24, only four Palestinians were reported to have been infected with the virus in the Gaza Strip. As of Monday, 14,768 people had contracted COVID-19, with 65 deaths. The number of critical cases stands at 79.

Gaza has been under a tight land, air, and sea siege for more than 13 years by Israel and Egypt, cutting it off from the rest of the world. Early hopes that Gaza’s isolation would spare it from the pandemic were dashed as the densely populated coastal region came under severe threat with a dilapidated healthcare system unable to handle the onslaught of patients.

Dr. Fathi Abu Warda, the adviser to the minister of health, told Al Jazeera the recent spike in infections could soon become uncontrollable, with hundreds of people contracting the virus each day and nowhere to treat them.

“We have entered the catastrophe stage, and if we continue like this, the healthcare system will collapse,” Abuwarda said. “The best solution is a full lockdown for 14 days, which will allow medical teams to control and combat the virus, with only shops that provide food supplies kept open.”

Abuwarda said the health ministry had prepared Gaza’s European Hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, but its capacity was insufficient, with 300 of its 360 beds already occupied. “In the Gaza Strip, there are about 500 [hospital] beds scattered across the coastal enclave…. But considering some 5,000 Palestinians live in each square kilometer in Gaza, these hospitals can’t accommodate all cases,” he said.

A lack of coronavirus testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) is also complicating the fight, as Israel continues to impose restrictions on medical supplies reaching Gaza.

Dr. Basim Naim, head of international relations in the Hamas-led government, formerly the minister of health, called on the international community and aid agencies to immediately intervene to stop the “imminent catastrophe,” accusing Israel of restricting the entry of medical supplies under “the pretext of security.”

“Hamas’ leadership will not accept the death of the Palestinian people either by starving or by leaving them to die by the pandemic,” said Naim. “We call on the international community to provide us with the financial resources needed to purchase all necessary items to combat the virus.”

Officials say despite Egyptian mediation, Israeli still refuses to allow ventilators into Gaza, making granting that permission conditional upon the return of soldiers’ bodies kept by Hamas since the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza.

The situation is worsened because many people have ignored advice to wear masks, held large wedding parties and protests against Israel’s occupation, and continue to socialize at mass gatherings. Abuwarda highlighted the “lack of commitment” among Palestinians regarding wearing masks, social distancing, and practicing proper hygiene. “We must count on people’s awareness to stop the spread of the virus,” he said.

Many Palestinians were in favor of the government taking drastic measures to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus. But some officials say they cannot impose a general lockdown as people’s minimum essential needs would go unmet because of the deteriorated state of the economy.