The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza warned of the worsening situation for hypertension patients in the Gaza Strip, coinciding with World Hypertension Day, the day commemorating the “silent killer.”
In a statement issued Monday, the Ministry indicated that the shortage of medications is a major risk factor threatening 225,000 hypertension patients in the Gaza Strip. The statement added that the prolonged suspension of routine checkups prevents early detection of the disease and deprives patients of the opportunity to manage it before it worsens.
A ticking time bomb
The Ministry emphasized that the destruction of primary healthcare centers has led to a lack of care and diagnosis, making hypertension a ticking time bomb that can claim lives without warning.
The statement explained that patients suffer from a lack of even the most basic healthy and balanced diet, in a highly polluted and unsanitary environment that exacerbates the disease. Furthermore, repeated displacement, living under constant fear, poverty, and unemployment create severe psychological stress, increasing the likelihood of serious complications and sudden strokes.
The ministry stated that the convergence of all the aforementioned harsh conditions as simultaneous risk factors is pushing patients to the brink of severe complications and rapid death at an increasing rate.
The Ministry of Health reiterated its urgent appeal to all relevant international organizations and institutions to intervene immediately to save the lives of thousands of patients, provide medications, and improve living conditions before it is too late.
