WHO transfers critical patients from the Nasser medical complex, fears for the safety of the remaining patients

On 18 and 19 February, WHO led two life-saving missions to transport 32 critical patients, including two children, from the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza amid ongoing hostilities and restricted access. High-risk missions were carried out in close cooperation with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The team also secured limited supplies of essential medicines and food for the remaining patients and staff who were otherwise denied assistance.

Four PRCS ambulances ensured the safe transport of patients, who underwent medical assessment and triage under the coordination of the hospital director. The patients were transferred to the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, Al-Aqsa Hospital in the central Gaza Strip and the International Medical Corps, UAE and Indonesian field hospitals in Rafah.

The admission of patients was requested by hospital staff after the facility ceased functioning following a military attack on February 14, following a week-long siege. Frail and frail patients were transferred in the middle of an active conflict near the aid convoy. Road conditions hindered the rapid movement of ambulances, further endangering the health of patients. Patients transferred during the missions included three patients suffering from paralysis – two of them with tracheostomies – and several others with external fixators for severe orthopedic injuries. Two paralyzed patients required continuous manual ventilation throughout the trip, due to the lack of portable ventilators. A patient with a fractured spine, previously referred by WHO to Nasser during a mission to Al-Ahli Hospital in northern Gaza, had to be transferred again despite his condition.

Nasser Hospital has no electricity or running water, and medical waste and garbage create a breeding ground for disease. WHO staff said the devastation around the hospital was 'indescribable'. The area was surrounded by burnt and destroyed buildings, heavy piles of rubble, with not a single part of the road intact.

It is estimated that 130 sick and injured patients and at least 15 doctors and nurses remained in the hospital. With the intensive care unit no longer functioning, WHO staff transferred the only remaining patient in intensive care to another part of the complex where other patients receive basic care.

The WHO fears for the safety and well-being of patients and health workers who remain in hospital and warns that further interruptions to life-saving care for the sick and injured could lead to more deaths. Efforts are underway to facilitate further patient referrals amid ongoing hostilities.

Prior to the missions, WHO received two consecutive refusals to access the hospital for medical assessment, causing delays in urgently needed patient referrals. At least five patients reportedly died in the Intensive Care Unit before any missions or transfers were possible.

On 17 February, the UNRWA-led mission, which included WHO staff, delivered 24,000 liters of fuel and limited supplies of food and water to the hospital, after being unable to reach it on 16 February due to unforgiving road conditions , including a deep, muddy, impassable ditch 50 meters from the hospital. That day, despite the risks, WHO staff, accompanied by engineers, managed to reach the Nasser Medical Complex on foot. However, they were only allowed to inspect the generator, which stopped working after running out of fuel. During both missions, senior WHO staff clearly identified themselves when entering the hospital grounds and requested authorization to assess patients and assess the hospital's functionality. These requests were rejected.

As the raid continues, any further damage to the Nasser Medical Complex will mean further delays in restoring functionality. The hospital's large medical warehouse, along with supplies from WHO and partners, was burnt, and a warehouse for daily medical supplies was partially damaged. The WHO-supported Limb Reconstruction Center, located within the hospital, is no longer operational. These are tragic events that will further limit access to health care in a context where needs continue to grow.

The dismantling and degradation of the Nasser Medical Complex is a major blow to the Gaza health system. Facilities in the south are already operating far beyond their maximum capacity and can barely accommodate more patients.

WHO reiterates its calls for the protection of patients, healthcare workers, healthcare infrastructure and civilians. Hospitals must not be militarized, abused or attacked.

WHO reiterates its calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and the principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality, and to ensure uninterrupted access so that hospitals can continue to provide life-saving care.

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