Dr. Basem Zaqout, Director of the Medical Relief Society in Gaza, said that the top priority after the ceasefire is to revive the health sector, which suffered a near-total collapse during the war. He explained that the Gaza Strip is in dire need of hundreds of health workers from abroad to support local medical teams exhausted by the two-year-long war of destruction and continuous depletion.
He continued that the health system in Gaza requires a comprehensive rebuild, starting with hospitals and health centers and extending to primary care units.
He pointed out that medicines, diagnostic equipment, laboratory supplies, and even blood units are suffering from a severe shortage, noting that thousands of citizens are still deprived of basic health services, while thousands of wounded people require complex surgeries that require experts and equipment currently unavailable within the Strip.
The Director of the Medical Relief Society explained that chronic patients and cancer patients are facing tragic conditions due to the severe shortage of medicine and diagnostic tools.
He emphasized that hope now rests on the entry of urgent medical aid in cooperation with sister countries, especially Egypt, to secure emergency cases and save lives. A comprehensive plan will then be developed to fully restore the health system and expand services to all residents of the Gaza Strip.
