Doctors left in dark as fuel shortages hit hospitals
In the northern Gaza Strip, Kamal Adwan Hospital’s dim corridors have become a stark symbol of the escalating crisis. Doctors now rely on mobile phone torches as essential tools to navigate their rounds, with hospital generators no longer functioning due to severe fuel shortages.
The 2.4 million residents of the besieged territory, most of whom have been displaced at least once, are struggling with widespread fuel shortages after more than 10 months of intense conflict. Only 16 hospitals remain operational, and even they are running at partial capacity.
The situation is dire at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, where patients like Ayman Zaqout arrive amidst the chaos of Israeli strikes and evacuation orders, only to find themselves being treated in near darkness. “There was no electricity, and I don’t know how they will be able to treat me in these circumstances,” Zaqout lamented, wincing in pain from renal colic.
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The hospital soon stopped accepting new patients entirely. Dr. Mahmoud Abu Amsha explained, “International organisations no longer supply the fuel needed for the generators.” The fuel shortage is putting patients’ lives at imminent risk, particularly vulnerable groups like children in incubators and those in intensive care, who depend on electrical equipment to survive.
The ongoing war began after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel, leading to a retaliatory military campaign that has claimed thousands of lives in Gaza. With Gaza’s only power plant out of commission and Israel cutting off electricity, fuel has become a lifeline for hospitals trying to cope with the relentless influx of casualties.
Despite some reliance on solar energy, Dr. Abu Amsha stressed that it is insufficient for patients requiring constant care. The lack of fuel has also crippled ambulance services, further straining the already overwhelmed healthcare system.
At Al-Awda Hospital, also in northern Gaza, the situation is equally critical. The acting director, Mohammed Salha, revealed that the hospital had to close some services and postpone operations while awaiting a desperately needed fuel delivery. In the meantime, they are providing minimal services, thanks only to fuel donations from other struggling hospitals.
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