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GAZA Hospitals Lack Medicines and Staff Date : 29/12/2008 Time : 16:43

GAZA, December 29, 2008 (WAFA)- At least 320 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed and 1400 wounded in the continuous Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Medical sources reported. Gaza hospitals are unable to cope with the large numbers of casualties, and are running out of equipment.



According to sources from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), hospital operating rooms are overflowing, and are running out of essential medicines. They are also understaffed and unable to cope with the large numbers of casualties. Hospitals are being overloaded with patients and are running out of room and supplies. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have suffered severe shortages of supplies over past 18-month-blockade and are not equipped to receive this number of casualties.



Red Crescent medical staff in Gaza reported that wounded people are lying in the streets of Gaza City. The only aid they receive is from by-passers.



Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip to evacuate injured people. Twenty ambulances have been sent along with medical personnel to the crossing and two Egyptian hospitals were emptied to take in the Palestinian wounded.



Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive around 100 PRCS volunteers, 60 medics and 120 medical staff were actively involved to provide emergency care in Gaza Strip. The activities have focused on evacuating the wounded, providing first aid and triage, transferring the wounded to hospitals, and hospital care at PRCS hospitals in Gaza and Khan Younis South of Gaza