War and shortages push Gaza hospitals to breaking point
Gaza's health system is collapsing under war and resource shortages, leaving dialysis patients without adequate care. According to Palestinian health authorities, 50 percent of dialysis machines have stopped working due to sodium bicarbonate shortages, and kidney failure patient deaths have exceeded 470 since the conflict began.
The dialysis ward at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City operates under severe strain, treating patients in closely arranged rows with limited resources. Among those receiving treatment is 14-year-old Ruwaa Muntasir Abdul Karim from Jabalia, whose father describes how dialysis sessions are essential to her survival, with any interruption causing severe fatigue and breathing difficulties.
The broader medical infrastructure supporting kidney failure patients has deteriorated significantly. The number of hospitals capable of treating such patients has fallen from seven to four, with facilities including the Noura al-Kaabi Dialysis Centre destroyed during the conflict. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that the kidney failure patient population has declined from 1,200 before the war to approximately 700, with more than 470 deaths attributed to missed dialysis sessions and medication shortages, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
At Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, one of the four remaining treatment centers, half of the 51 dialysis machines are non-functional. The facility has reduced both the frequency and duration of dialysis sessions for its 240 patients. Medical staff report rising complications including general weakness, respiratory problems, cardiac issues, and dangerously elevated potassium levels in patients' blood.
The live signal stream across the Qatari market.