A Struggle for Dialysis: The Escalating Tragedy of Gaza’s Kidney Patients
Kidney
disease is a relentless burden that demands unwavering care especially for
those facing renal failure, where dialysis is not just a treatment, but a
fragile lifeline. For patients in Gaza, this struggle is a waking nightmare;
their pain is doubled by a suffocating blockade, a desperate lack of medicine,
and the darkness of frequent power cuts, all while the very hospitals meant to
heal them lie broken by repeated aggression.
Amidst
the groans of patients and the alarms of dilapidated machinery, dialysis
departments in Gaza’s hospitals have turned into 'stations of no return.' These
units are struggling with severe overcrowding, critical medical shortages, and
an inability to accommodate the influx of patients. While standard treatment
requires three sessions per week, each lasting over two hours, these
life-saving sessions have been significantly reduced for a large number of
patients.
The
destruction of all hospitals in northern Gaza by the occupation
forces—including the Indonesian, Kamal Adwan, and Al-Awda hospitals—has
precipitated a severe crisis for renal failure patients. Al-Shifa Hospital is
currently the sole facility providing dialysis services in the north. All
patients in the region are now converging on the complex, which operates only
34 dialysis machines, many of which are dilapidated and in urgent need of
regular maintenance.
Gaza’s Kidney Patients: Between Pain and a Slow Death
Since
the onset of the genocidal war, over 150 renal failure patients have lost their
lives due to the inability of hospitals to provide regular dialysis sessions
and treatment. This crisis is fueled by an acute shortage of essential
medicines and dialysis solutions, alongside frequent power outages and severe
fuel shortages. Currently, dozens more patients face a grave risk to their
lives as they struggle to secure their necessary weekly treatment.
Inside
Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the dialysis department admits dozens of cases daily
under precarious humanitarian conditions. Many patients are reportedly losing
consciousness at the doors of treatment units after waiting for grueling hours,
with no immediate solutions to bridge the service deficit. This collapse is a
direct result of the ongoing Israeli blockade and the systematic destruction of
the healthcare sector by occupation forces
For
seven years, Abu Salim has endured the grueling journey of kidney failure, but
now, his body is finally reaching a breaking point. As hospitals buckle under
the weight of too many patients and too few machines, his life-saving sessions
have been cruelly cut short. Left without full treatment, his system is
failing; his blood is being poisoned by salt accumulation, and he is slipping
into darkness, collapsing again and again as his strength utterly fades.
Speaking
to Al-Mujtama, he says: "Under normal circumstances before the war,
I used to receive three dialysis sessions per week, which allowed me to
maintain a normal daily routine while strictly adhering to my medication. Now,
however, sessions have been reduced to just two per week. This reduction,
combined with the acute shortage of medicine, has led to a severe decline in my
health.
He
noted that he now wishes for death every moment to escape the persistent agony
and exhaustion caused by the collapse of healthcare services and the acute lack
of nutritious food in Gaza. As the population is forced to rely on canned goods—which
pose health risks even to healthy individuals—Abu Salim emphasized that for
kidney patients with weakened immunity, the repeated consumption of these
processed foods is life-threatening and potentially fatal.
Dilapidated Equipment and Missing Medicines
Abu
Muhammad’s condition is even more critical than the previous case. He is
transported to the hospital via ambulance, having lost the ability to stand or
walk due to a severe clinical decline. This deterioration is a direct
consequence of the unavailability of essential medications and the forced
reduction in both the duration and frequency of his dialysis sessions. Living
in dire circumstances, Abu Muhammad faces a constant risk of mortality as
regular medical care remains inaccessible.
Speaking
to Al-Mujtama, he says: "The healthcare system in Gaza has
completely collapsed. The cries of patients, who are dying every moment due to
depleted services and medicine shortages, remain unanswered. The global
conscience is silent and absent, particularly regarding renal failure patients
whose lives are entirely dependent on dialysis sessions. If treatment is
provided, they survive; if it is halted, they perish.
He
pointed out that the dialysis wards at Al-Shifa Hospital are entirely
inadequately equipped for patient comfort. Both the medical beds and the
machines are dilapidated, causing patients to endure severe pain and discomfort
during their long sessions. Despite these conditions, these worn-out beds
remain the only means of saving their lives from the toxins invading their
bodies.
Total Collapse of the Healthcare System
In
this context, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Asmar, a physician in the dialysis department,
stated: "The healthcare system in Gaza is suffering from a severe collapse
due to the deliberate destruction of hospitals and medical facilities by the
Israeli occupation. Furthermore, the ban on numerous types of medications for
chronic diseases has exacerbated patient suffering, leading to many preventable
deaths as a result of punitive measures imposed on unarmed civilians.
Speaking
to Al-Mujtama, he noted that dialysis machines are frequently operated
beyond their capacity with very limited resources. This strain is a result of
the rising number of patients and a critical shortage of filters, tubing, and
sterilization materials required for each session. The wear and tear on the
equipment, coupled with the inability to replace it due to the Israeli
blockade, further compounds the patients' suffering and poses a fatal threat to
many.
He
explained that patient numbers are steadily rising, while the availability of
medical equipment and personnel remains stagnant or is in decline. As a result,
hospitals have been forced to curtail the duration or frequency of weekly
sessions for many patients, leading to a dangerous accumulation of toxins in
their bodies during long wait times. Furthermore, the combined physical and
psychological strain is significantly exacerbating their deteriorating health
conditions.
The suffering of kidney patients in Gaza
underscores the extreme fragility of the healthcare system under dire
humanitarian conditions. It highlights the pressing need for urgent and
sustainable support to ensure the availability of essential treatments,
medications, and equipment. Addressing the plight of these patients is not
merely a humanitarian responsibility but a fundamental right to access safe and
dignified healthcare.
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