WHO says Gaza health system ‘severely’ damaged, medevac capacity far short of needs

Dr. Rick Pieperkorn, the World Health Organization representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, told a briefing to the United Nations Correspondents Association that Gaza’s health system has been “severely” damaged, with many hospitals and primary-care centers partly or completely nonfunctional and medevac operations far below estimated needs.

Pieperkorn said WHO counts about 18 of 36 hospitals as partly functional, 55 of 143 primary health-care centers partly functional and 11 field hospitals operational. He said current total bed capacity in Gaza is about 1,900 compared with more than 3,500 before the crisis, and that intensive-care and neonatal capacity is “very few.” “The functional health facilities … are scarce,” he said.

The WHO representative described “wide-scale destruction” across northern Gaza neighborhoods such as Jabalia and in parts of Rafah, and said critical infrastructure tied to health care — generators, desalination and oxygen plants — has been damaged in many areas. Pieperkorn said WHO and partners have set up trauma stabilization points and are expanding inpatient and intensive-care capacity where possible, and that surgical teams and emergency medical teams are operating in some hospitals that have resumed partial services.

Mental health is a major concern, Pieperkorn said, with “literally everyone” in Gaza affected by prolonged conflict and extreme stress. He said mental-health…