[Correspondence] Oncology and emergency care collapse in the West Bank

AI Summary

The health-care system in the occupied Palestinian territory's West Bank is collapsing due to fiscal blockades, movement restrictions, and economic isolation, severely affecting emergency and oncology care. Hospitals are nearing structural failure amid shortages of essential medicines and medical infrastructure.

The health-care system in the occupied Palestinian territory is undergoing a silent, catastrophic collapse, pushing regional public hospitals to the brink of total structural failure. As an emergency medicine and oncology physician at Dura Governmental Hospital, West Bank—a crucial secondary-care hub—I witness daily the devastating erosion of our capacity to deliver basic, life-saving medical care. Prolonged fiscal blockades, severe restrictions on movement, and the economic isolation of the Palestinian health sector have culminated in an unprecedented shortage of essential medicines and crucial medical infrastructure.