Global humanitarian organization International Medical Corps has received hundreds of wounded and dead at its field hospital in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza. With other hospitals now inaccessible, non-functioning or stretched to the breaking point, International Medical Corps’ facility has been designated to receive all trauma cases from the central region. In the early hours of June 8 it received 220 cases, 40 of them critical, and is continuing to receive all cases and casualties coming in through EMS providers. To help address the increasing demand, International Medical Corps’ Deir al Balah field hospital is taking proactive measures by establishing a new ward to accommodate the influx of emergency cases.
The sheer magnitude of casualties and fatalities has overwhelmed the capacity of all health service providers in the region, according to the World Health Organizations, exacerbating an already dire situation.
Due to worsening security in the south in recent days, International Medical Corps temporarily shifted its field hospital operations from Al Mawasi, in southern Gaza, to Deir al Balah, in the middle region, where it expanded to 200 beds, providing a wide range of health services to civilians, including emergency and trauma care; obstetric and newborn care; nutrition; mental health and psychosocial support; child protection; and gender-based violence prevention and response services.