‘Life-Changing Injuries’ – Thousands of Palestinians to Require Rehabilitation for Years to Come

Scores of Palestinians were killed when Israeli occupation forces targeted tents of displaced people in Khan Yunis. (Photo: via QNN)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The report indicated that although it only focused on fresh injuries sustained since October of last year, there are “tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza” who were “already living with pre-existing chronic conditions and impairments”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in an analysis report it issued Thursday that a minimum of 22,500 injured Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are expected to have “life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come.”

The analysis report examined the various types of injuries resulting from the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza and estimated the trauma rehabilitation needs based on injury data collected from emergency medical teams.

The analysis report revealed that the main driver behind the need for rehabilitation is severe limb injuries, which are estimated to count between 13,455 and 17,550, with many of those enduring more than one injury.

WHO’s report stated that between 3105 and 4050 limb amputations have also taken place while a significant increase “in spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and major burn injuries all contribute to the overall number of life-changing injuries, which includes many thousands of women and children.”

The #nuseirat refugee camp in central #Gaza is familiar to the habitual Israeli massacres since the start of the genocidal war on October 7.

The Al-Jaouni School, however, is one of the most frequently targeted ‘safe zones’.

Palestine Chronicle examines what has taken place in… pic.twitter.com/lJUIeCFwAq

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 13, 2024

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory said that the “huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system.”

“Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients’ lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs,” the physician warned.  

Pre-existing Conditions

The report indicated that although it only focused on fresh injuries sustained since October of last year, there are “tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza” who were “already living with pre-existing chronic conditions and impairments” before the ongoing war, which puts them “at significant risk due to the lack of appropriate services.”

WHO’s report spoke at length of the devastation that touched the health system in the besieged Gaza Strip due to the Israeli raging war.

It said that at present “only 17 of 36 hospitals remain partially functional in Gaza, while primary health care and community-level services are frequently suspended or rendered inaccessible due to insecurity, attacks, and repeated evacuation orders.”

The report added the only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center at Nasser Medical Center – supported by WHO – stopped being functional in December of last year “due to lack of supplies and specialized health workers being forced to leave in search of safety, and was later left damaged following a raid in February 2024.”  

WHO quoted reports indicating that the number of physiotherapists killed stands at 39 as of 10 May, with absence or acute shortage in “In-patient rehabilitation and prosthetic services” and “stocks of essential assistive products such as wheelchairs” due to the continuous obstruction by the Israeli occupation authorities of aid flow into the Strip.

The international organization stressed that the data in the analysis report will be used by WHO and its partners “to plan for a surge in rehabilitation-related services and contribute to long-term health planning and policymaking.”

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said in a statement that the Israeli occupation committed three massacres, resulting in 34 deaths and 96 injuries in the last 24 hours.https://t.co/xxNai3MjP6

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 12, 2024

WHO ended its report by calling for a ceasefire, which it said is “critical for rebuilding the health system to cope with escalating needs.”

Polio Vaccination

On the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, Dr. Richard Peeperkorn said 552,451 children were vaccinated as part of a polio campaign in Gaza, excluding the numbers of the last day, the Anadolu news agency reported.

The physician indicated that the number of vaccinated children stands at 190,572 in the central area and 250,820 in the south.

Peeperkorn emphasized that despite Israeli restrictions and evacuation orders on the first campaign day of the campaign in the north, WHO teams managed to get into Gaza the following day and have at present vaccinated 105,909 children.

The UN physician stressed the importance of post-campaign monitoring.

“I think with the technical committee and myself, we are happy with this polio campaign, and I think we are also quite confident that we reach an enormous amount of children in this short time,” he stated.

Peeperkorn expressed his confidence that his organization probably reached its target of vaccinating over 90% of children, and voiced his hope to repeat the second dose in four weeks.

(PC, Anadolu)