Over a third of patients seeking antenatal care have exhibited anaemia, a condition often associated with an iron deficiency, which is a critical concern for pregnant women who often require iron supplementation. Additionally, nearly half of these women had genitourinary infections, such as urinary tract infections.
In Rafah, our teams are providing postpartum care as well as mental health support in the Emirati hospital. In Al Shaboura Clinic, pregnant women are provided antenatal care including screening for malnutrition and given supplementary therapeutic food if needed.
In the first week of January, MSF gynecologists and obstetricians provided antenatal care to over 200 patients at the Al Shaboura clinic. In the Emirati hospital’s post-natal care ward, within the first week of expanding the ward, our teams received over 170 patients.
However, without sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza and protection for the few health facilities that remain functioning, the provision of care will continue to be a drop in the ocean.
We reiterate our call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and for the protection of health facilities to safeguard lives.
We also stress the urgency to promptly restore the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and re-establish the healthcare system, upon which the survival of mothers and children in Gaza critically depends.
*Name changed to protect identity.
Fonte original msf.org
