Gaza: Amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip for more than two years, and the widespread destruction inflicted on health infrastructure, heart patients are facing deteriorating humanitarian and medical conditions, leaving their lives at risk due to the collapse of the healthcare system, shortages of treatment, and difficulties in accessing essential care. Hospitals across the Strip are overwhelmed with heart patients, despite an already deteriorating medical reality marked by a severe shortage of medicines and supplies and an inability to meet even basic needs, as the repercussions of the aggression have further deepened the crisis.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency - WAFA, the breakdown of essential medical equipment is a significant concern. Patient Mohammad Al-Sa'ati, 66, has been lying at Nasser Medical Complex for two months, as doctors have prevented him from leaving due to the severity of his condition. Al-Sa'ati stated that he has been suffering from irregular heart rhythms for eight years and currently needs a pacemaker, which is unavailable. He explained that his symptoms worsen in the absence of the device, causing dizziness and recurrent fainting, and leaving his condition unstable, with no solution appearing on the horizon.
Meanwhile, patient Fatima Rashid, 67, described her suffering from chronic, irregular hypertension, which requires frequent hospital admissions, but treatment is unavailable. She is currently experiencing fluid accumulation in the lungs due to high blood pressure and faces a risk of stroke due to the shortage of medication. Rashid underwent a catheterization procedure a year and a half ago and was supposed to take a specific medication for a year, but it is unavailable, leading to the narrowing of the stent in her heart. She expressed feeling that her death is near.
Dr. Ashraf Hallas, Head of the Cardiology Department at Nasser Medical Complex, emphasized that the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the destruction and depletion of the health sector have exacerbated the suffering of heart patients to an unprecedented level. He highlighted the severe shortage of medicines and equipment, particularly for catheterization procedures, leading to the suspension of around 80 percent of cases scheduled for treatment.
Before the aggression, between five and eight catheterization procedures were conducted daily at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the European Hospital, and private centers. However, such procedures are now limited to only a few cases. Following the Ministry of Health's contracting of Al-Quds Hospital, catheterization procedures are now limited to no more than three cases per day and are performed exclusively for critically ill patients based on medical prioritization.
Hallas noted that catheterization equipment shortages, including stents and balloons, sometimes force doctors to complete procedures without inserting stents. The need to transfer patients for treatment outside Gaza is hindered by occupation restrictions, leading to many patients losing their lives due to delays or denial of travel for treatment amid continued closure of crossings and movement restrictions.
Diagnostic equipment shortages are also a critical issue. Electrocardiogram devices are entirely unavailable, echocardiography machines are in short supply, and other diagnostic equipment is malfunctioning due to damage inflicted on the health sector by the aggression. These conditions have led to a deterioration in heart disease cases, an increase in cases associated with psychological stress, and a rise in mortality rates compared to the period before the aggression.
Heart diseases account for approximately 56 percent of total deaths in the Gaza Strip, as thousands of patients are unable to leave the Strip for treatment due to imposed restrictions. Local sources indicate that around 20,000 patients are facing difficulties in accessing treatment, while 1,400 wounded individuals have died while waiting to travel for treatment outside the Strip, highlighting one of the most severe consequences of the ongoing aggression on the humanitarian and health situation in Gaza.