Most of patients in intensive care unit die as Israeli troops enter Gaza’s largest hospital – CNN.co.jp

Tents set up by displaced Palestinians line the grounds of Shifa Hospital/Ahmed El Mokhallalati/Reuters/File

2023.11.18 Sat posted at 14:35 JST

(CNN) On the 17th, Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which was invaded by Israeli forces, reported that most of the patients in its intensive care unit (ICU) had died.

A doctor who heads the burn treatment department at the hospital made the announcement in a telephone interview with Al Jazeera, a satellite television station in Qatar. Patients in intensive care units were placed on ventilators due to lack of fuel and oxygen supplies.

Doctors said that the number of premature babies being cared for in hospitals has significantly decreased, and lamented that the survival of the infants who are still alive is in jeopardy given the plight hospitals are under.

Hospitals are severely lacking in basic supplies, with major wards running out of water and no electricity. The surgery was canceled because power could not be secured. As a result, patients’ symptoms worsen, especially among children who suffer from serious intestinal infections due to lack of access to clean water.

The doctor said that although the Israeli military had promised to provide food, the amount was far from sufficient. Only 40% of the people remaining in the hospital can receive it.

Israeli forces stormed two buildings on the hospital grounds, but added that multiple tanks were still stationed in the area. Snipers were stationed throughout the hospital, creating a sense of fear.