Gaza - Saba:
The Director General of Sheikh Hamad Ahmed Naim Hospital said that the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip has increased the number of amputations by more than 225%. According to Sanad News Agency on Tuesday, Naim confirmed that more than 6,500 amputations have been recorded since the start of the genocide on October 7, 2023, compared to 2,000 cases before that date, according to official statistics issued by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Red Cross.
Naim explained that the hospital receives approximately 200 cases of illness and injury daily, distributed across the three main services provided by the hospital: medical rehabilitation, prosthetics, and hearing and balance.
The director of Hamad Hospital emphasized that the hospital's production capacity before the war allowed for the manufacture of approximately 150 prosthetic limbs per year. "At this rate, we need more than 20 years to cover the current cases."
The hospital administration seeks to develop its work mechanisms and increase production capacity to 400 or 500 prosthetic limbs annually. However, this requires significant funding and the provision of materials, which Naim says is hindered by the Israeli blockade on the import of prosthetic limb supplies.
The hospital director believes that the greatest challenge lies in the import of materials primarily for prosthetic limbs, as the enemy prevents their arrival into the Gaza Strip. He pointed out in his remarks that specialized prosthetic limb staff are extremely scarce in the Gaza Strip, and all of them are working at double capacity.
He continued, "Their number is insufficient to handle this high volume of cases, despite their efforts to develop existing capabilities and attract technical support to expand the team."
Health officials and authorities confirm that the doubling of amputations recorded since the beginning of the Israeli war is a result of the intensive use of explosive weapons and the direct targeting of civilians, amid a severe shortage of medical equipment and tools necessary to manufacture prosthetic limbs due to the ongoing closure of crossings and the prevention of entry of basic supplies.
Up until last May, the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that 18% of amputations in the Gaza Strip at that time were among children, while cases have increased due to the escalation of Israeli bombing against children and all groups.
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