Palestinian Health Ministry: Severe medication shortage threatens healthcare system
RAMALLAH, May 23 (YPA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the current financial crisis is affecting all components of the health sector in the West Bank, including government, private, and non-governmental hospitals, as well as pharmaceutical suppliers and medical consumables, due to accumulated debts and irregular payments.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry noted that hundreds of essential medicines and medical supplies have reached critical shortage levels, including life-saving drugs, cancer treatments, and dialysis medications, posing a direct threat to the continuity of healthcare services.
Minister of Health Dr. Mai Al-Ramadan confirmed that the crisis cell led by Deputy Minister Dr. Wael Sheikh, and comprising the General Directorate of Pharmacy, the General Directorate of Financial Affairs, the Central Stores Department, and the Hospital Administration, is working intensively in the field around the clock. The aim is to closely monitor the pharmaceutical situation, prepare a comprehensive detailed report assessing risks and urgent needs, and develop emergency solutions to ensure the continuity of health services.
The ministry warned that the continuation of the crisis, alongside reduced working hours and strikes, is exacerbating the strain on the health sector and threatening the provision of essential medical care.
The Ministry called on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to urgently intervene to ensure the entry of medicines and medical supplies, and to prevent the collapse of the health system in the West Bank, stressing that targeting Palestinian financial resources constitutes collective punishment affecting the fundamental right to treatment and life.
The minister also praised the significant efforts made by the government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, especially the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance, in mobilizing international support and attempting to contain the crisis.
The ministry emphasized that the continued withholding of Palestinian funds directly impacts patients’ lives, threatens the right to treatment, and requires urgent and responsible international intervention to save the health system from collapse.
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