RAFAH, Egypt — They arrived at the border by the busload: amputees and people with other disabilities by the dozens, in wheelchairs pushed by family members or friends. Others approached on crutches and canes, and many had patches over their eyes or head bandages and had to be guided by relatives.
They were Palestinians from Gaza, taking advantage of Egypt's decision to lift the blockade that it maintains jointly with Israel. They had come to Egypt for medical care, fleeing what U.N. officials call a public health shambles in Gaza.
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The World Health Organization said this week that medical equipment urgently needed in Gaza had been piling up for a year waiting for clearance from Israel. These include CT scanners, X-ray machines, fluoroscopes, infusion pumps, medical sterilization gases, laboratory equipment, UPS (uninterrupted power supply) batteries and spare parts for support systems such as elevators.
One U.N. official put the value of the equipment at $20 million.
"It is impossible to maintain a safe and effective health care system under the conditions of siege that have been in place now since June 2007," Tony Laurance, the head of the WHO's office for Gaza and the West Bank, said in the statement. "It is not enough to simply ensure supplies like drugs and consumables. Medical equipment and spare parts must be available and be properly maintained."
Hossam Abu Safiyah, a Palestinian pediatrician in Gaza, confirmed that the hospitals were suffering not only from a lack of supplies but also from a lack of training.
"A surgeon, for instance, needs to attend conferences, do workshops and work with his hands. It is not enough to read on the Internet," Abu Safiyah said. He added that before the siege doctors frequently attended medical conferences in Egypt and abroad. "All that ended after the borders were sealed."
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Originally Posted by imokyrok
