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MSF warns of the collapse of Nasser Hospital in Gaza: “Behind the scenes, a girl was dying alone”

“In Khan Younis, south of Gaza, fighting is rapidly approaching Nasser Hospital, endangering it and the population’s access to medical care.” In a statement released by Doctors Without Borders, the NGO warned of a collapse at this medical center, one of the main centers in the Strip, where it cares for around 550 patients, far exceeding its capacity of 366 beds.

The NGO reiterated its request that the parties to the conflict “guarantee the population safe access to medical care and avoid evacuating Nasser Hospital”, which would put hundreds of patients at risk, including people with severe burn and traumatic injuries, newborns and pregnant women. The organization continued in its note that Nasser and Al Aqsa hospitals treated ten people with serious injuries following Israeli bombing of the area in July.

“Yesterday, during my last visit to the emergency room, I thought I would go to see if there were any patients left. I went in and behind the curtains a girl was dying alone. She was alone and did not know who her relatives were. There was no one there. She was still breathing, but they let her die because here, now, the system cannot cope. And this is the result: an eight-year-old girl will die alone on an emergency stretcher. In any other health system she would have survived. Every day in July has been one Shock Others followed. “It is tragic beyond words,” describes Javid Abdelmoneim, head of the MSF medical team at Nasir hospital, in a testimony released by the NGO.

MSF calls for the protection of this hospital center because it is the last place with a large blood bank, although according to the Ministry of Health of the Hamas-controlled Strip the reserves are “critically low”. “One in ten people who voluntarily donated blood during the collection activity supported by MSF was not suitable to donate due to anemia or malnutrition”, says the humanitarian unit. Similarly, Nasser is the only hospital where oxygen is still manufactured and mass sterilization is carried out, says the NGO.