Patients with Cancer in Gaza Face Treatment Crisis
The closure of European Gaza Hospital exacerbates an already dire situation for patients requiring cancer treatment.
In Gaza, patients battling cancer are facing unprecedented challenges following the recent closure of the European Gaza Hospital.
On May 13, 2024, Israeli airstrikes targeted the facility, which had been the only remaining institution offering comprehensive cancer care in the region after the destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza City.
The Ministry of Health reported that the European Gaza Hospital ceased operations, resulting in halted vital services, including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment—services that are unavailable throughout the rest of the Gaza Strip.
The World Health Organization has highlighted the critical impact of this closure, describing it as a significant blow to the healthcare infrastructure in an area already suffering from extensive medical shortages.
Patients like Hadeel Shahada, a 35-year-old lymphoma survivor, are expressing their despair.
Following the hospital's bombing, she described feeling as if death was imminent.
Unable to obtain care at the now-defunct facility, patients are left to navigate a healthcare landscape that offers limited alternatives and increased risks.
Hadeel diagnosed her cancer in 2017 and had relied on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital for regular treatment until its destruction.
Since the onset of armed conflict on October 7, 2023, and the resulting displacement from northern Gaza to Khan Younis, accessing medical care has become increasingly hazardous.
Despite holding a referral for treatment outside Gaza since October 2023, Hadeel has been unable to travel due to Israeli restrictions on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, now the sole outlet for rare medical evacuations, while the Rafah crossing has remained closed since early May 2024.
Approximately 25,000 patients and injured individuals are currently awaiting the opportunity for treatment outside Gaza.
Many, including Hadeel, can no longer rely on the few remaining pharmacies that struggle to obtain stock amid an ongoing blockade.
Another patient, Mona Al-Agha, 30, faces similarly dire circumstances.
Newly diagnosed with stomach cancer just five months ago, her hopes for treatment were firmly tied to the European Gaza Hospital, which has now become defunct.
She was recently transferred to Nasser Medical Complex, but the facility lacks a specialized cancer care center, severely limiting her treatment options.
On a shared ward, Tahani Abu Mustafa, 38, who suffers from abdominal cancer, expressed profound concerns for her six children, particularly after the death of her husband amid the ongoing conflict.
Her anxiety about dying without securing treatment has escalated dramatically since the closure of the European Gaza Hospital.
Health officials have raised alarms about the implications of these developments on cancer patient mortality.
According to Tarak Al-Mahruk, nursing director at the Gaza Cancer Center operated by the Ministry of Health, there is a 'real danger' looming over thousands of cancer patients as they are relocated to facilities ill-equipped to provide adequate care.
He indicated that the risk of mortality among cancer patients has increased in the past months, exacerbated by the blockade hindering the entry of necessary medicines and medical supplies.
Before the European Gaza Hospital's closure, it was estimated that 90% of cancer patients residing in northern Gaza were already experiencing significant barriers to accessing treatment due to ongoing conflict and roadblockages.
The loss of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital has compounded the crisis, as approximately 10,000 patients who were receiving treatment there are now left facing an uncertain future with no suitable medical facility available to meet their needs in the entire region.
On May 13, 2024, Israeli airstrikes targeted the facility, which had been the only remaining institution offering comprehensive cancer care in the region after the destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza City.
The Ministry of Health reported that the European Gaza Hospital ceased operations, resulting in halted vital services, including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment—services that are unavailable throughout the rest of the Gaza Strip.
The World Health Organization has highlighted the critical impact of this closure, describing it as a significant blow to the healthcare infrastructure in an area already suffering from extensive medical shortages.
Patients like Hadeel Shahada, a 35-year-old lymphoma survivor, are expressing their despair.
Following the hospital's bombing, she described feeling as if death was imminent.
Unable to obtain care at the now-defunct facility, patients are left to navigate a healthcare landscape that offers limited alternatives and increased risks.
Hadeel diagnosed her cancer in 2017 and had relied on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital for regular treatment until its destruction.
Since the onset of armed conflict on October 7, 2023, and the resulting displacement from northern Gaza to Khan Younis, accessing medical care has become increasingly hazardous.
Despite holding a referral for treatment outside Gaza since October 2023, Hadeel has been unable to travel due to Israeli restrictions on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, now the sole outlet for rare medical evacuations, while the Rafah crossing has remained closed since early May 2024.
Approximately 25,000 patients and injured individuals are currently awaiting the opportunity for treatment outside Gaza.
Many, including Hadeel, can no longer rely on the few remaining pharmacies that struggle to obtain stock amid an ongoing blockade.
Another patient, Mona Al-Agha, 30, faces similarly dire circumstances.
Newly diagnosed with stomach cancer just five months ago, her hopes for treatment were firmly tied to the European Gaza Hospital, which has now become defunct.
She was recently transferred to Nasser Medical Complex, but the facility lacks a specialized cancer care center, severely limiting her treatment options.
On a shared ward, Tahani Abu Mustafa, 38, who suffers from abdominal cancer, expressed profound concerns for her six children, particularly after the death of her husband amid the ongoing conflict.
Her anxiety about dying without securing treatment has escalated dramatically since the closure of the European Gaza Hospital.
Health officials have raised alarms about the implications of these developments on cancer patient mortality.
According to Tarak Al-Mahruk, nursing director at the Gaza Cancer Center operated by the Ministry of Health, there is a 'real danger' looming over thousands of cancer patients as they are relocated to facilities ill-equipped to provide adequate care.
He indicated that the risk of mortality among cancer patients has increased in the past months, exacerbated by the blockade hindering the entry of necessary medicines and medical supplies.
Before the European Gaza Hospital's closure, it was estimated that 90% of cancer patients residing in northern Gaza were already experiencing significant barriers to accessing treatment due to ongoing conflict and roadblockages.
The loss of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital has compounded the crisis, as approximately 10,000 patients who were receiving treatment there are now left facing an uncertain future with no suitable medical facility available to meet their needs in the entire region.
