Abstract:

Gaza Strip has been struggled with three consecutive wars during the last six years. The last one was in July, 2014 and lasted for 51 days. The aim of this study was to provide clear and concise picture of the health situations in Al Shifa Medical Complex during the war 2014. We reviewed retrospectively, from 10th September to 10th December, 2014, the available official documents of Ministry of Health (MoH) and Shifa medical complex including: death reports, hospital admissions, ICU admissions, OR admissions and formal correspondences of  MoH and Shifa hospital. Microsoft Excel 2013 was used to analyze the quantitative data. This study was approved by Shifa hospital board management. In general, a total of 2145 deaths and 11066 injuries were reported, in which 581 (27%) and 3436 (31%) of deaths and injuries, retrospectively, were children below 14 years. In Shifa medical complex, 38% (4195) and 23% (484) from the total injuries and deaths arrived to hospital. Among wounded cases, 1019 patients admitted to surgical departments, 253 admitted to ICU in which 20% of them have passed away. Among death cases and injuries, 40% and 51% of them retrospectively were females and children below 14 years. Total number of surgeries was 998 in which 83% of them were major, 4% minor and 13% classified burns surgery. Approximately, orthopedic surgeries accounted for 30% of total surgeries followed by 21% for general surgery and 8% vascular. Neonatal mortality rate jumped double to 14.5% compared to previous years. Shifa medical complex faced great difficulties in dealing with great number of injuries from the war due to lack of drugs, medical supplies, equipments, resources and lack of maintenance services. But it has been able to maintain continuity of health services despite constant crises.