Published 9 January 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b87
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b87

News

Conditions are 'dire' for exhausted medical workers in Gaza

John Zarocostas

1 Geneva

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Conditions for medical personnel in Gaza are on the point of collapse, United Nations relief officials have warned. They say that exhausted hospital staff are overwhelmed by the number of casualties and are constrained by shortages in critical medical supplies and fuel. Medical staff and aid workers also face life threatening conditions in getting to work, reaching the wounded, and distributing aid.

The World Health Organization said that 21 medical personnel have been killed and 30 injured and that 11 ambulances have been hit in the ongoing conflict.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on 27 December, in Gaza 765 people have been reported dead, including many children and women, and more than 3100 wounded. In neighbouring southern Israel four people have died and 176 have been wounded as a result of rocket attacks by Hamas militants.

WHO repeated its calls for an immediate improvement in the situation on the ground . . . [Full text of this article]


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