| 2011-09-17 | Reports |
Gaza,(Alresalah.ps)--A human disaster threatens kidney failure’s patients in Gaza hospitals due to the lack of necessary medicine. While patients expressed that their problem is getting worse, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the number of deaths will double as a result of medicines’ shortage. Abu Muhammad, a Palestinian man suffers kidney failure, lays next to the dialysis device in Al-Shifa Hospital in order to wash his kidney, a process that needs two hours a day. Amidst the continuation of the siege, doctors reduced the time needed for the dialysis process due to the shortage of ‘sodium powder’, without which the device does not work. Abu Muhammad, a 50-year-old man , complains of the shortage of (Alklsimur) medicine which is used to strengthen the status of mineral and chemical elements in the human body to improve the ability of walking and movement. He is forced to buy the medicine at his own expense, despite of its high price. Um Wael, a 62-year-old woman, lays next to another device and complains about the short time allowed for her to wash her kidney, the thing that resulted in her inability to move and caused her a severe anemia. Although there is no income source for her family, she is forced to buy the medicine at 200 shekels a month. Dr. Muhammad Shatat, Deputy Director of al-Shifa's dialysis unit, explained that a real disaster will occur due to the severe lack of medicine. He added that the amount of medicines available covers only 40% of patients’ need. “The number of blood lines the hospital has got is only 200, while it was about 2200 in the previous months”, he said. Dr. Shatat also warned that there will be a health disaster in dialysis unit if such a situation exceeds a week. Dr. Munir AL-Bursh, Director General of Pharmacy Department at the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, said that only 50% of the needed medicines are allowed to enter The Gaza Strip. This led to consuming all of the stockpiles in the ministry’s warehouses. Regarding the smuggled medicines, Al-Bursh said, “there is an observation department for the borders to control medicines brought by tunnels, the ministry doesn’t allow using these medicines in any case” Dr. Muhammad Al-Zmaily, Director of medicine stores, mentioned that there are 124 unavailable types of medicine, and 75 more types are going to be run out by the next month. Patients are still suffering from medicines’ shortage. They are struggling their painful chronic diseases, waiting for their medicines to be released, and putting in their minds that their lives may end in any moment ! |
Alresalah News
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