MSF Denmark urges government to allow treatment of Gaza's injured
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Doctors Without Borders Denmark has called on the government to reconsider its position of preventing Palestinian patients from receiving medical care in the country.
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An injured Palestinian girl is treated at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP)
Doctors Without Borders Denmark urged their government to reconsider providing treatment for ill and injured Palestinians in Gaza, Danish media reported on Wednesday.
Denmark has refused to provide medical treatment for Palestinians from Gaza but has been treating Ukrainians for almost three years since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.
Doctors Without Borders Denmark issued an urgent call to the Danish government, stressing that patients who cannot receive medical treatment in Gaza are facing a "matter of life or death," with Gitte Ronde, the president of the organization, saying, "Denmark must take responsibility and help those in urgent need of evacuation from Gaza for specialized treatment."
This comes after Human Rights Watch called on Denmark to provide medical assistance to Palestinians in critical need of it.
Gaza's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with only 17 of its 36 hospitals operating partially and facing critical shortages of medicines and fuel, while 500 healthcare workers have been killed, according to Belkis Wille, associate director of the HRW Crisis, Conflict, and Arms Division.
"Despite the Israeli military’s allegations that Hamas bases itself in hospitals, no evidence put forward would justify depriving hospitals and ambulances of their protected status under international humanitarian law," she added.
The rights group reported that by 30 September, of the 15,600 patients for whom medical evacuation was requested since October 2023, "Israel" approved and allowed Egypt to evacuate only 6,075. Only 229 patients have been permitted to leave Gaza through Israeli authorities since the Rafah Crossing was shut on 7 May 2024.
In recent months, Brussels has urged EU countries to accept evacuated patients from Gaza, prompting some member states, such as Norway, Spain, and Italy to agree to provide medical treatment. The request followed a formal appeal for assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) through the bloc’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
One-quarter of injuries in Gaza are 'life-changing': WHO
Last month, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned that a quarter of those injured in the ongoing war on Gaza have sustained "life-changing injuries."
"At least one in four of the injured in Gaza since October 2023 are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come," Ghebreyesus highlighted in a post on X.
Addressing the ongoing strikes, Tedros underscored that "it is critical to ensure access to all essential health services, including rehabilitation to prevent illness and death."
The organization estimated that there have been between 13,455 and 17,550 cases of "severe limb injuries," which it identified as the primary cause driving the demand for rehabilitation services.
Additionally, the report noted that between 3,105 and 4,050 limb amputations have taken place. Other significant injuries include spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and major burn cases.
The number is expected to exponentially increase as a result of the siege on northern Gaza, which has put the three major hospitals in the area out of service, amid continuous bombardment and brutal attacks.
At least 1 in 4 of the injured in #Gaza since October 2023 are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come: https://t.co/rpeOtZ6wxp
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 13, 2024
Amid the ongoing hostilities, it is critical to ensure access to all essential health… pic.twitter.com/w7b0qQ4AKd
