Deaths from Disruptions to Healthcare for Chronic Conditions in Gaza

Among the most vulnerable victims of Israeli genocide are people with long term chronic illnesses, including diabetics, cancer patients and dialysis patients, whose conditions require regular treatment. Mohammad Absy, a consultant nephrologist, told Middle East Eye that infrequent dialysis exposes patients to death mostly by cardiac arrest due to increased potassium levels and acid concentration in the blood. “The acid load is increased with starvation. Dialysis patients if not dialysed frequently will suffer from fluid overload leading to suffocation and death,” he said. “Starvation causes patients’ muscles to break down and this will produce more urea as a waste product. When these patients finally get dialysis they suffer nausea and vomiting during the dialysis session.”