August 2024- In central Gaza, Palestine, almost 650 patients fled Al-Aqsa hospital, supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), following an Israeli forces evacuation order and an explosion approximately 250 metres from the hospital, located in Deir Al-Balah, on 25 August. In response, MSF teams, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, have quickly opened a field hospital and started receiving patients amid a severe lack of supplies and resources. Field hospitals are not a solution, but a last resort in response to Israel’s dismantling of the healthcare system. MSF calls on all warring parties to respect and protect the last remaining hospitals in Gaza.
As it opens, the field hospital in Deir Al-Balah faces immense pressure, with remaining hospitals under threat and limited access to supplies. It complements and supports larger hospitals like Al-Aqsa. However, as the frontline rapidly approached Al-Aqsa Hospital on 25 August, many patients fled in fear for their lives. Without hospitals like Al-Aqsa and Nasser in Khan Younis, field hospitals will struggle to cope with the urgency and abundance of medical needs. “There is a cumulative impact to the dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system by Israeli forces,” explains Juliette Seguin, MSF Emergency Coordinator. “Each health facility dismantled increases the pressure on those remaining, while decreasing people’s access to healthcare. Without an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the notion of a true medical humanitarian response is an illusion.”
Also Read: Humanitarian Breaks Essential for Polio Vaccination in Gaza Strip
“The hospital looks really empty,” says Dr Sohaib Safi, Deputy Medical Coordinator for MSF in Gaza. “Before the evacuation order and explosions, the hospital was so crowded that patients sometimes had to be treated on the floor. Patients were everywhere, often queuing in front of the hospital, desperately seeking care.”
“The atmosphere is one of anxiety due to the imminent threat [of attack],” continues Dr Safi. “We encountered several patients with burns, complicated wounds and people in need of amputations, who are currently receiving care at the hospital. These cases are likely the tip of the iceberg, we know there are many more people in need of urgent care who can’t reach the hospital.”
According to the World Health Organization, 20 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are now non-functional. Temporary facilities like field hospitals lack the capacity for advanced surgical care, and many other lifesaving essentials to treat patients in critical condition or with long-term medical conditions. Since early October, MSF teams have been forced to leave 14 medical facilities in the Gaza Strip.
The last 11 months have clearly illustrated that without an immediate and sustained ceasefire, there can be no meaningful medical humanitarian response. MSF calls on all warring parties to respect and protect the last remaining hospitals in Gaza.
