Nasser Medical Hospital Faces Critical Shutdown Due to Syringe Shortage

Nasser Medical Hospital, Gaza’s largest remaining medical facility, is facing a critical shutdown due to a complete shortage of syringes, according to a statement from Doctors Against Genocide. The hospital, which serves 2.2 million civilians, is on the brink of a full work stoppage, with no syringes available to administer essential treatments such as IV antibiotics, insulin, cardiac drugs, pain medication, and emergency interventions.

The hospital has been forced to rely on emergency funds provided by Doctors Against Genocide to secure 800 boxes of syringes, which will only last for 2 to 3 days. However, the Ministry of Health could not finance the purchase due to the economic collapse caused by the Israeli government’s blockade. Without immediate intervention, the hospital faces the imminent threat of a complete shutdown.

The situation is dire and has been exacerbated by the Israeli military strikes on hospitals and medical warehouses. The hospital staff and patients are struggling to cope with the lack of essential medical supplies. Families are attempting to source their own syringes, nurses are reusing wound dressings, and gloves are already out of stock. These conditions make continued hospital operations functionally impossible.

Doctors Against Genocide has called for urgent humanitarian access to Gaza, emphasizing that no amount of charitable support can substitute for the opening of Gaza’s crossings. The organization is urging for immediate, unconditional opening of Rafah, Kerem Shalom, and Erez North crossings. They also call for the restoration of UNRWA humanitarian convoys without military obstruction and emergency authorization of unlimited medical supply transfers with no quantity caps or inspection delays.

The shutdown at Nasser Medical Hospital is a preventable, manufactured collapse that is leading to preventable deaths. Doctors are performing amputations without anesthesia, and children are dying of dehydration and preventable infections. Gaza is now at critical risk of a full-scale epidemic, with thousands of preventable deaths imminent without immediate humanitarian access.

The situation at Nasser Medical Hospital highlights the urgent need for the international community to take action and ensure that Gaza receives the necessary medical supplies and humanitarian aid. The hospital's plight is a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the need for immediate and sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population.