Reference :
V-P-IL-E-02452
Date :
21/11/2011
Caption :
Gaza city, Shifa hospital. Taghrid, a 37 years old woman suffering from breast cancer, is told that her dose of treatment is not available this day. Gaza is constantly affected by a shortage of drugs and medical supplies.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC website, Photo gallery, 26-01-2012
Gaza: health care is in danger
In the Gaza Strip, the shortage of essential medical supplies is a major problem for thousands of desperate patients, especially those with kidney failure or cancer. To make matters worse, the power supply is intermittent and the voltage fluctuates. This can disrupt life-saving health care, sometimes forcing patients to restart their treatment..
37-year-old Taghrid is married and has 6 children. She discovered having breast cancer a year ago. She received a treatment in Egypt, but she still needs a surgery, which cannot be done without taking the drug Taxol, essential for her treatment. Without this medication, she is likely to suffer from complications after the surgery.
Today she came to get her dose of Taxol, but the medication is not available. She knows that if she does not get it within 10 days, her chances for cure will get smaller.
"I am afraid to lose what I've achieved in terms of treatment because of the lack of medications in Gaza".
The alternative for her is to either go to Egypt to find the medication, which she cannot afford because it is very expensive, or decide to undergo surgery without a medication but the her life will be in danger.
In the Gaza Strip, the daily life of around 7000 cancer patients is full of uncertainty. Stocks of essential medical supplies, including chemotherapy and haemophilia drugs are periodically not available.
When chemotherapy is interrupted, the chances of succes drop dramatically, even if another painful round of treatment is initiated.
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
3504x2336
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
