Gaza’s last major hospital faces imminent shutdown as fuel runs out

In the heart of war-torn Gaza, Al Shifa Hospital stands alone. It had been one of many medical centres providing treatment and hope during Israel’s devastating bombardment of the enclave, but Kamal Adwan Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital and Al Awda Hospital have all been forced out of service. Al Shifa is now the last fully operating major hospital in Gaza. But the burden of treating the injured could soon become too much. “We are performing the work of all the hospitals that have collapsed,” Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al Shifa in Gaza city, told The National. “Our hospital was built to accommodate 140 beds. Today, we are treating over 350 patients. Most of them are lying in the corridors, in the courtyards, wherever there’s floor space.”