“Epidemics and a large disabled population await Palestine”

Experts warned against health problems that may occur in Palestine while the conflicts between Hamas and Israel continue, “Dysentery, cholera, Hepatitis A and E infections can be seen. Scabies, measles, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia outbreaks may occur. There is an increase in the rate of chemical gases in the air, which causes serious respiratory problems. Especially if there are children here, if they have asthma and chronic lung diseases, it means that they will die by suffocation. Even if we say that the war is over, a very large disabled population is waiting for the Palestinian people. Their houses are destroyed, there is no water, no food, this is condemning them to death, they should retreat to a safe area as soon as possible.”

As the clashes between Hamas and Israel continue, the number of casualties continues to increase. While the whole world reacted to the attack on the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which caused the death of many people, experts drew attention to the problems that may occur in the points bombed by Israel in Palestine. In addition to human casualties and injuries in the region, it is pointed out that infectious diseases may occur in the region due to many reasons such as the destruction of sewerage systems and the flow of dirty water into the streets, problems due to electricity and water cuts, the inability to collect garbage, and the inability to intervene in citizens with wounds. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip had also announced that they were concerned about the spread of epidemics in the region, which has been bombed by Israel since 7 October. Infection and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Dr Fatma Çuhadar and Internal Medicine Specialist Emel Yiğit Karakaş from Beykent University Hospital gave information about the health problems that may occur in the region.

“This is condemning the people there to death”

Infection and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Dr Fatma Çuhadar stated that citizens in the region may face many health problems and said, “There is no water and electricity in the region, and the buildings have been destroyed. People have difficulty in accessing food with appropriate hygiene conditions, which can lead to various infectious diseases. Especially water-borne dysentery, amoebic dysentery, bacillary dysentery, cholera, various parasitic infections, giardiasis, Hepatitis A and E infections can be seen. People probably cannot reach the vaccine due to injuries, tetanus infections, infections of wounds and related deaths will be seen because I do not think they have enough antibiotics. Mass living conditions cause many infections to occur, especially scabies outbreaks can be seen because people cannot wash. Outbreaks such as measles and chickenpox may occur. Meningitis, influenza infections and pneumonia outbreaks may occur. It will especially affect children under the age of 5, the elderly, those with chronic diseases and pregnant women. They cannot access their medicines, they cannot be examined, they cannot be followed up, these are also a problem. Access to clean water sources should be ensured for these people. Crush syndrome is a separate issue, kidney disorders already occur, treatment is very difficult even under normal conditions, we experience this in earthquakes and accidents. In the end, it will lead to sepsis and death of the person. This is to condemn the people there to death, a person who cannot access anything in the long term, a person who cannot provide hygiene, a person who cannot access food cannot live for a very long time. We are talking about a destroyed geography, their houses are destroyed, there is no water, there is no food, how long can they last, they should withdraw to a safe area as soon as possible.”

“There is an increase in the rate of chemical gas, it means that they will die by suffocation”

Emel Yiğit Karakaş, Internal Diseases Specialist Emel Yiğit Karakaş, who said that situations where hygiene conditions cannot be observed will cause many problems, said, “There is a very bad deplorable conflict, there is a region of one of the conflicting parties; The people of Gaza do not have access to water, electricity, they have no chance to escape. A person can withstand thirst for 3-5 days under the best conditions. Dehydration is a big problem for them, and the increase in infectious diseases due to the lack of hygiene conditions where there is no water is also a problem. It is said that water is supplied from wells, which creates a tendency to infectious diseases, and this is a very serious problem. They have no access not only to water but also to food. First aid and health aid cannot go to Gaza, and it is very difficult for them to struggle with these situations with their own means. Even if they survive the bullets and attacks, they will most likely be lost in 3-5 days with septic shock because of the lack of timely and adequate intervention to open wounds. There is an increase in the rate of chemical gas in the air, which causes serious respiratory problems in them. Especially if there are children here, if they have asthma and chronic lung diseases, it means that they will die from serious suffocation.”

“A very large disabled population awaits the Palestinian people”

Continuing his words, Uzm. Dr. Karakaş said, “We see that phosphorus booms are used. When the war victims inhale this, a burning occurs from the inside out, and it cannot be stopped. If they survive the burning, they face liver and kidney failure. The situation they are in is very dramatic. The World Health Organisation and physicians of all people need to do something about this, we need to stop this war. It means that a mass death will take place within a week at most after their own stored water and food resources run out. Even if we say that the war is over, a very large disabled population is waiting for the Palestinian people due to physical injuries. There will be organ injuries, some of them permanent. A disabled citizen community will be in their lives. Likewise, there will be disabled citizens who will need lifelong health and medication support, perhaps due to the chemicals they are exposed to. Most importantly, considering that 40 per cent of the population is under the age of 16, they will have children exposed to a very large and very serious trauma.”