The international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans frontieres – MSF) announced today that it has started discharging patients from the Polish hospital in Rafah ahead of a possible evacuation.
“We have started discharging patients at the Indonesian Field Hospital in Rafah, those who can walk, while also preparing for a possible evacuation,” said Aurelie Goddard, who leads the medical team. She said that alternative health facilities in areas outside the evacuation zone are not adequate for the needs of patients.
“The few Polish hospitals or alternative installed facilities will not be able to cope with the influx of wounded patients on top of regular medical needs, such as deliveries and chronic diseases. Health needs will greatly increase and access to health care will be further reduced.” added Goddard.
The statement warned that an offensive on Rafah would be catastrophic for more than a million people who live there and those who fled the conflict in other parts of Gaza. According to MSF, living conditions in the Palestinian territory are already extremely bad and will only worsen for people who will be displaced again and will have to live in makeshift tents, with extremely limited access to basic necessities.
In addition, it was warned that the new Israeli offensive in Gaza would further degrade the health infrastructure in that enclave, and that the provision of medical and humanitarian aid is currently very challenging, the American television network CNN reported.
Photo: illustration
