In the Maternity Ward of Gaza, life, death, and hope intertwine

In the heart of Gaza City, the obstetrics and gynecology emergency department at Assahaba Medical Complex continues to welcome new life amidst ongoing conflict and danger. The department, however, faces critical challenges primarily driven by severe famine, malnutrition, and a collapsing healthcare system.

Doctors report seeing 4-5 cases daily of miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth. Pregnant women suffer from severe anemia and nutritional deficiencies, greatly endangering both mother and fetus. Many pregnant women lose significant weight during pregnancy, resulting in compromised heart, nervous system, and respiratory function. This contributes to babies being born underweight, with abnormal organ development, congenital malformations, and weak immunity.

The medical facilities in Gaza City, including obstetrics and gynecology clinics, are under-equipped and overwhelmed. There is a shortage of medications, therapeutic foods, and sanitation, leading to a rise in life-threatening conditions that cannot be effectively treated.

Despite these challenges, the department continues to deliver hope. A mother from the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza safely delivered a baby girl at 6am. Another pregnant woman came to the clinic after being told her baby's heart was not beating, but a heartbeat was detected during an ultrasound. The delivery room was illuminated by the first rays of sunlight as a new baby was born during a shift.

However, the hospital is constantly battling shortages of medical supplies. The hospital has been experiencing a severe shortage of basic supplies, including pain relief medication and anaesthetics. Mothers in Gaza endure childbirth without access to basic pain relief, a luxury that the people of Gaza have never known.

The emotional toll is immense. The woman, six months into a shift and 12 hours into a 16-hour shift, is experiencing intense emotional pain and anguish. Her husband was killed in an air raid just a month after their wedding. The little girl expressed a fear of having a girl baby due to the loss of her older sister in an attack.

Despite the hardships, the mother and her family celebrated the birth of the baby, finding hope after a night filled with fear, missiles, and snipers. The mother was accompanied by her five-year-old daughter during a routine check-up, a testament to the resilience of the people of Gaza.

Organizations have opened integrated mother and child clinics in Gaza City offering essential services such as gynecology, mental health, breastfeeding counseling, and nutrition support. These clinics have treated thousands but needs remain critical. A new field hospital with obstetrics and gynecology departments, opened by Jordan, provides some relief to the overwhelmed system.

Overall, the obstetrics and gynecology emergency department in Gaza City operates amid a severe humanitarian and public health crisis marked by malnutrition-driven pregnancy complications, shortages of medical supplies, and infrastructural strain due to ongoing conflict and blockade.

Amidst the ongoing conflict and danger in Gaza City, the obstetrics and gynecology emergency department at Assahaba Medical Complex heroically delivers new life, but grapples with severe challenges due to war, famine, malnutrition, and the collapse of the healthcare system.
Doctors report seeing multiple cases daily of miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth, as pregnant women struggle with severe anemia, nutritional deficiencies, and underweight babies with abnormal organ development and weak immunity.
The medical facilities in Gaza City, including obstetrics and gynecology clinics, face a critical shortage of medications, therapeutic foods, and sanitation, leading to life-threatening conditions that can't be effectively treated, and further aggravated by the lack of pain relief medication and anesthetics.
Despite the hardships, there's hope in the city. A new baby girl was safely delivered at 6am, and another pregnant woman was saved from imminent tragedy after a heartbeat was detected in her baby during an ultrasound.
As organizations open integrated mother and child clinics offering vital services such as gynecology, mental health, breastfeeding counseling, and nutrition support, the need for further assistance remains critical, especially with ongoing malnutrition-driven pregnancy complications, shortages of medical supplies, and infrastructural strain due to ongoing conflict and blockade. General news, mental-health, women's-health, war-and-conflicts, politics, crime-and-justice are all interwoven in this complex humanitarian crisis.