Egypt reviews ‘hospitals readiness’ to deal with medical emergencies from Gaza

CAIRO- 16 October 2023: Egypt’s Health Ministry announced on Monday that all hospitals are fully ready to deal with any medical emergencies it may receive due to the repercussions of the escalated events in the Gaza Strip.

Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health held a meeting with the ministry’s undersecretaries and heads of crisis rooms in the governorates of Cairo, Giza, North Sinai, Suez, Ismailia, Port Said, Damietta, and Sharqia, via videoconferencing.

 

This comes in implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, during the National Security Council meeting, to follow up on the health system’s preparations to deal with any medical emergency after the repercussions of the events in the Gaza Strip.

 Official spokesman for the Ministry, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar explained that the minister listened to the ‘potential emergency plan’ that includes providing therapeutic services, whether in specialized surgeries or in the treatment of complex injuries, fractures, burns, and critical medical cases.

Abdel Ghaffar said that the Minister was assured of the availability of a sufficient stock of medicines, medical supplies, oxygen cylinders, and blood bags and plasma. He was also assured of the readiness of hospitals in all specialties.

 

Conflict news circulated on Monday morning regarding a short hamartian aid truce to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid through Rafah crossing border according to US and Israeli media reports; however, shortly later both Palestinian and Israeli sides denied these reports. No official statements have been issued so far to confirm any ceasefires

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees [UNRWA] announced in its report, Monday that over 1 million people so far have been displaced from Gaza, some 600,000 Internally displaced persons are in the Middle Area, Khan Yunis and Rafah, of those, nearly 400,000 are in UNRWA facilities.

UNRWA also said the number of killed is increasing, and ‘there are not enough body-bags for the dead in Gaza.’

The report noted that Gaza still has had no electricity, ‘pushing vital services, including health, water and sanitation to the brink of collapse, and worsening food insecurity’. 

Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh asked the international community and countries around the world to donate to the Palestinians and to help them through the humanitarian crises they are witnessing.

In a brief press conference, Shtayyeh demanded all services be provided in Gaza again. He also thanked everyone who showed support to civilians suffering in the stripe.

‘I thank all the capitals of the world and the people who expressed their solidarity with us’, Shtayyeh said.

In a latest death toll announced by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, nearly 2.808, people have been killed, other 10.950 were injured as a result of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

On Sunday, the UN announced that reserves of fuel at all hospitals in Gaza Strip are expected to last only for 24 hours, and that the shutdown of backup generators would place the lives of thousands of patients at risk.