Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip – Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the one hospital nonetheless functioning within the central Gaza Strip, reached full capability days in the past. Injured folks lie on the hospital flooring, medical tents and mattresses holding sufferers occupy the area outdoors the constructing, whereas lifeless our bodies proceed to reach on the facility.

Thousands of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge right here, squeezing themselves in corridors and ready rooms. Meanwhile, many sufferers with continual illnesses who have been being handled at hospitals within the north of the besieged enclave at the moment are at Al Aqsa Martyrs, having fled their houses after evacuation orders from the Israeli navy.

For kidney sufferers, dialysis therapy is a matter of life and loss of life.

Before the newest Israeli offensive started on October 7, the hospital had 143 sufferers requiring dialysis. Now, the variety of sufferers has greater than doubled to about 300, together with 11 youngsters who all have simply 24 dialysis machines between them.

Iyad Issa Abu Zaher, the hospital’s director common, mentioned the power is overwhelmed.

“We have resorted to rationing of all resources and medical supplies,” he informed Al Jazeera. “A kidney dialysis patient now undergoes treatment once or twice a week for an hour or two, but before they used to come in three times a week.”

Even earlier than the battle, Gaza’s well being ministry had warned that the lives of 1,100 kidney failure sufferers, together with 38 youngsters, have been in danger because of a scarcity of gasoline and an acute scarcity of the mandatory medical provides wanted for dialysis.

Last month, Alaa Helles, the director of the Hospital Pharmacy Department at Gaza’s Ministry of Health, said the territory’s hospitals offered 13,000 dialysis classes each month.

This requires greater than 13,000 filters, 13,000 blood assortment tubes and 26,000 blood cannulas per thirty days, however since Israel and Egypt management the territory’s border crossings, even earlier than the battle sufferers have been typically left to wonder if there can be sufficient provides to deal with them.

The Gaza Strip has been below an Israeli blockade for 16 years with the motion of products severely curtailed by Israel and Egypt. The blockade has solely tightened since October 7, following an assault by the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel. So far, solely a number of dozen support vehicles have been allowed in – a “drop in the ocean” by way of the help wanted. Before the battle, some 450 trucks entered day by day with provides.

Breaking level

Abu Zaher mentioned the Gaza Strip’s healthcare system has reached a breaking level, echoing the well being ministry’s assertion on Tuesday relating to the remaining working hospitals.

Already, 12 hospitals and 32 well being centres have been compelled to cease functioning, the ministry assertion mentioned. “And we fear that more will stop due to the Israeli targeting and the lack of fuel,” it added.

But preserving the doorways of the remaining hospitals within the Gaza Strip open doesn’t in itself imply these services are in a position to deal with the wounded who flock to them, the assertion mentioned, saying that many medicines and medical provides have already run out in hospitals.

Abu Zaher mentioned that with out gasoline, sufferers in working rooms, intensive care items, infants being stored alive in incubators and others who depend on lifesaving machines are all in danger.

“Patients are stacked outside operating rooms as we don’t have enough beds,” he mentioned. Meanwhile, others recovering after operations have been moved to the out of doors tents – “a field hospital of sorts,” he defined.

But Abu Zaher additionally confused that restoration for sufferers who’ve been handled just isn’t assured provided that the overcrowded atmosphere and lack of medical provides can result in severe infections.

“The outbreak of disease is inevitable,” he mentioned. “There will be a humanitarian disaster after the war ends.”

‘Exhausted from this reality’

Manar Shreir from the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City used to go to the Al-Quds Hospital for kidney dialysis.

She and her household fled the extraordinary Israeli bombardment of town and made their option to Deir el-Balah within the central Gaza Strip, the place her sister lives, after the Israeli navy ordered 1.1 million Palestinians from the north to evacuate to the south.

The Al-Quds Hospital additionally received warnings from the Israeli navy to evacuate, indicating that it could possibly be focused, the Palestinian Red Crescent has mentioned. The hospital’s director responded to the Israeli navy saying a large-scale evacuation can be potential provided that Israel offered buses to move the 12,000 folks taking shelter at Al-Quds – together with sufferers – to the southern Gaza Strip and ensured a protected area for them there. The Israeli official reportedly hung up.

But even these like Shreir, who’ve managed to make it to the south, face a battle to get therapy.

“My sister’s house [in Deir el-Balah] is close to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, but I still have to queue for hours since the early morning, just waiting [for] my turn,” mentioned Shreir as she sits up in a hospital mattress with a purple blanket round her legs.

Shreir has been on dialysis since 2015, going to the hospital 3 times every week for four-hour classes. Now, she is fortunate if she will get dialysis twice every week, for as much as two and a half hours per session.

“It’s a huge difference,” she mentioned. “The session is barely enough to get the toxins and accumulated fluids out of my blood. I have to watch what I eat and drink, and I barely let water pass my lips because I don’t want to have shortness of breath or swelling.”

After her final therapy, Shreir was on her method again to her sister’s home when Israeli air assaults hit the road parallel to the one she was on.

“It’s terrifying,” she mentioned. “Even when you find yourself within the hospital you’re scared. Windows have shattered earlier than, the destruction is throughout you, to not point out the horrific sound of the bombs. Inside, it’s not any higher, with our bodies of individuals killed piled up, blood on the ground, folks lacking limbs.

“We are exhausted from this reality. Enough criminality, enough war.”

‘Not enough’

Hajj Salah al-Din Ahmed Suleiman Abu Iyadeh, 61, a displaced affected person from Gaza City receiving dialysis at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, mentioned that with out common therapy, sufferers will endure from extreme fatigue and swelling.

“Dialysis that is two and a half hours once or twice a week is not enough,” he mentioned.

“These are toxins in the body which can’t be allowed to stay. Right now, we are making do, but if this war continues, there will be serious problems due to the capacity and immense pressure the hospital is under.”

According to the well being ministry, Israeli air assaults have killed 5,791 Palestinians in 18 days, together with 2,360 youngsters and 1,292 ladies. More than 16,000 others have been wounded.

About 1,500 persons are trapped below rubble, together with 830 youngsters, in keeping with the well being ministry.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital alone has obtained 2,850 injured folks and the our bodies of just about 1,000 Palestinians, Abu Zaher mentioned.

“Most of the casualties are men, women and children who were killed inside their own homes after an Israeli air raid targeted their building,” he mentioned.

Staff on the hospital work below fixed, great strain as a result of overwhelming well being scenario in addition to their private circumstances.

“Some of our staff have received news that their families were targeted or killed in Israeli air attacks,” he mentioned. “No hospital in the world operates like this.”