Gaza MoH declares collapse of eye services, 4,000 Glaucoma patients risk blindness

GAZA, Nov. 30 (YPA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) in the Gaza Strip issued a strong warning on Sunday regarding catastrophic challenges that threaten the continuity of specialized ophthalmic medical care in the sector.

This warning comes amid an acute and near-total shortage of medicines and the malfunction of diagnostic and surgical equipment.

The Ministry explained that widespread malfunctions affecting vital equipment designated for precise examinations and surgical interventions have led to unprecedentedly long waiting lists. This severely complicates the prospects of performing necessary operations, exacerbating the suffering of patients, especially urgent cases that require immediate surgical intervention to save their eyesight.

According to the Ministry’s statement, the pharmaceutical stocks allocated for ophthalmology have become “almost non-existent,” unable to meet emergency or chronic needs. The MoH confirmed that the shortage of specialized medicines has resulted in a significant deterioration in the health conditions of thousands of patients.

The Ministry of Health revealed a worrying statistic: approximately 4,000 patients suffering from high eye pressure (Glaucoma) are facing the risk of severe and permanent decline in their visual ability.

This crisis is compounded by the complete absence of appropriate treatment and the severe limitation on conducting the necessary surgical procedures to save their vision.

YPA