Gazan civilians continue to be denied
their right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health due to a deterioration of the health situation in the Gaza Strip. The
total siege which was imposed on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) in mid-June 2007 has resulted in a further deterioration of the
health conditions of over 1.5 million Gazan civilians especially patients with
chronic diseases, female patients including pregnant women and breast feeding
mothers and sick children. Due to restrictions imposed on patients’ movement to
and from Gaza, the suffering of patients whose medical treatment is not
provided in Gaza and who need urgent medical treatment abroad has increased.
Health institutions, including hospitals and primary healthcare centers, have
experienced chronic shortages in necessary medical supplies and severe shortage
in medical equipment and devices, including shortage in spare parts required to
repair broken medical devices.

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