Blood banks in Gaza are on the verge of collapse

The health sector in Gaza is facing a worsening crisis with a sharp decline in blood supplies and laboratory equipment, due to the destruction of laboratories and medical equipment and the shortage of essential materials caused by the war.

Doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital confirm that laboratory departments are operating with minimal resources, with most of the complete blood count machines out of service. This threatens to halt one of the most crucial tests for diagnosing patients, especially the wounded, cancer patients, thalassemia patients, and those in intensive care.

Blood banks are also suffering from a decrease in the number of donors and a shortage of blood bags and crossmatching reagents, in addition to damaged equipment and power outages that threaten the preservation of blood units.

Staff say they have sometimes been forced to disregard certain donation criteria due to the urgent need to save the injured, while Al-Shifa Hospital continues to consume approximately 120 units of blood daily with reserves that are insufficient to meet the growing demand.