As the regional conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza, hospitals have found themselves unable to operate due to rising fuel shortages and devastating airstrikes. This has forced many medical centers to delay or cancel surgeries that require sophisticated equipment and drugs, leaving patients with nowhere to turn for their healthcare needs. As the crisis worsens, more people are seeking help from local doctors who are performing surgery without access to the drugs and equipment needed to perform traditional medical procedures.
The situation is desperate. Hospitals are quickly being overwhelmed by a surge in the number of medical procedures that can be performed through a new approach known as “surgery without drugs”. Many of these operations are simple to perform, but don’t provide the same level of care or level of safety that traditional surgery with drugs does. However, with the lack of access to the necessary supplies, these operations are as safe as it gets for those in need in Gaza.
With limited access to fuel, transportation, and supplies, surgeries without drugs is becoming a common practice in the hospitals of Gaza. Moreover, healthcare facilities are being forced to make tough decisions about which types of operations and procedures to prioritize.
The surgeons who are doing these heroic acts of service are doing so with no access to anesthetic, as most hospitals don’t have regular or reliable supplies of these life-saving drugs. Without an indication of when the conflict will end, it is likely hospital staff will continue to be stretched thin and the need for surgery without drugs will become even greater.
In an effort to improve their services, some hospitals have begun to utilize alternative methods in an attempt to help as many patients as possible. These include the adoption of “Pituitary Surgery”, a technique which uses ablation instead of removal of an organ or damaged tissue to treat and manage complex medical problems. This approach is less invasive, more cost-effective, and potentially more successful in some cases.
The current crisis in Gaza has grossly exposed how vulnerable the region’s healthcare system is in times of conflict. This has led to an urgent need for more resources and understanding of the importance of access to the necessary drugs and equipment for surgery. If the Israeli-Hamas conflict is to truly enter a new and more hopeful phase, it is essential that both parties work towards the long term goal of ensuring access to quality healthcare in the region.