Gaza: Premature babies, other patients die in Al-Shifa Hospital

There are negotiations regarding evacuating premature babies but until now nothing has happened

Dr Mohamed Abu Selmia, manager of the key Al-Shifa hospital, has told the BBC 32 people have died in recent days.

Three premature babies and seven people had died due to a lack of oxygen, he said.

Several other patients needing dialysis risk dying in “the next couple of days” as the treatment is no longer available, he said.

The hospital is near out of fuel and other resources to keep functioning – with pre-mature babies having been taken out of no longer operational incubators. There are more than 600 injured patients there.

The BBC asked the doctor if the Israeli army had made any contact regarding the evacuation of patients or premature babies. Israel has said that it has sent fuel near to the hospital and other resources.

But the doctor said: “No, they haven’t reached out, instead we reached out to them… but until now we have received no response.

“There are negotiations regarding evacuating premature babies but until now nothing has happened.”

Abu Selmia said the hospital had also been in touch with the Red Cross to try and co-ordinate the burial of the bodies, of which there were about 150 in the hospital – but was told that was currently not feasible.

BBC

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