The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the Al Shifa hospital as a “dead zone”, and calls for a full evacuation. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus writes on X. – Our team sees that the hospital is no longer usable. Neither water, food, electricity, fuel and medical supplies have been used up, writes Ghebreyesus. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and calls the Shifa hospital a “death zone”. Photo: Reuters Given this deplorable situation and the condition of many patients, including babies, health workers have requested assistance to evacuate patients who can no longer receive life-saving assistance, it added. – Truce. NOW, concludes the WHO chief. Mass grave A humanitarian team, led by the WHO, which included public health experts, logistics officers and security personnel from various UN departments, visited the Al Shifa hospital in northern Gaza on Saturday, to assess the situation. They describe it as a “dead zone” and a “desperate” situation. The humanitarian team was only allowed an hour in the hospital due to the uncertain situation. – There were clear signs of bombardment and gunfire. The team saw a mass grave at the entrance to the hospital, and were told that over 80 people had been buried there, says the WHO. Critical condition Due to the security situation, it has been impossible for the staff at the hospital to maintain good infection control measures. – Many patients have serious infected wounds due to poor infection control measures and a lack of antibiotics, it is further stated. According to the WHO, there are 25 health workers and 291 patients left in Al Shifa hospital. There have been several deaths in the last 2-3 days as a result of less opportunity to carry out medical health care. Among the patients, there are 32 babies in an extremely critical condition. – The vast majority of patients are victims of war trauma. Many have complex fractures and amputations, head injuries, burns and chest and abdominal pain. Around 30 patients have such serious back injuries that they are unable to move without medical help, WHO writes in its report from Saturday. Evacuation column should have been According to Doctors Without Borders, a column with 137 of their employees and families tried to be evacuated on Saturday, when it was attacked. The people who tried to evacuate had for a long time sought refuge in the organisation’s guest house adjacent to Al Shifa. One person was killed and one injured in the attack. Both must be family members of MSF employees. According to Doctors Without Borders, the convoy was refused to cross the border into southern Gaza. Hearing sounds of gunfire, the column turned and drove back towards Al Shifa. There Leger writes without borders that the column was hit with intent. – These are innocent civilians. 65 were children. So I am quite disappointed and despairing about what is happening. Now there must be a ceasefire, says doctor Morten Rostrup in Doctors Without Borders to news. The five cars that made up the column must have been clearly marked with the Doctors Without Borders logo, according to the press release. Emergency plan WHO believes the evacuation should take place within the next two days, and wants guarantees of safe passage from the parties to the conflict. – We are working with our partners with an emergency plan to evacuate health workers, patients and their families to other facilities, writes WHO. The patients will be transported to the Nasser Hospital and the European Hospital in the south of Gaza. The hospitals are already overloaded, according to the WHO. On Saturday, doctors at the hospital reported that they were given one hour to evacuate the hospital. Patients, civilians and staff left the hospital on foot. The IDF denied to news that they ordered the hospital evacuated.
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WHO calls Al Shifa hospital a “death zone” – will get patients out – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
