The aged man sits in a wheelchair mounted on a donkey-drawn cart, with an oxygen cylinder and a small fan beside him as he makes his approach from his tent within the Al-Mawasi space to the dialysis centre.
“Since January 2024 till now, I’ve been present process dialysis classes thrice per week,” he mentioned. “I endure so much due to transportation as I journey in a cart pulled by a donkey below the scorching solar, and thank God, what can we do? I’ve no different alternative.”
Close to-daily ordeal
Entry to the hospital has turn into a part of his day by day wrestle, given the destruction of infrastructure, the dearth of transportation and the continued tough humanitarian situations within the Strip for the reason that Israel-Hamas battle erupted in 2023.
Even with the October 2025 ceasefire, Gaza’s well being system remains to be working at restricted capability, in response to the World Well being Group (WHO).
Israeli assaults and widespread injury to well being amenities, together with restrictions on the entry of medical provides, proceed to impede the availability of healthcare at a time when sufferers with power illnesses want common, uninterrupted remedy, WHO mentioned.
Mr. Hajji’s struggling displays the truth for tons of of kidney failure sufferers within the Gaza Strip, the place obstacles dealing with well being amenities have elevated strain on dialysis companies, in response to WHO and different UN businesses.
Harsh check of survival
For Mr. Hajji, challenges stay travelling to and from the centre, the place the remedy itself turns into a harsh check of survival.
In the course of the journey, his grandson, Saif, has to cease repeatedly to re-attach the wheelchair to the trolley as a result of unpaved roads.
“There’s nice struggling alongside the best way as a result of warmth of the solar and the tough roads,” his grandson mentioned. “We now have to cease each fifty metres to regulate the place of my grandfather’s wheelchair, and we arrive on the hospital exhausted and in fast want of oxygen.”
Restricted assets
After a tough journey, his grandson helps him switch from his wheelchair to a mattress on the dialysis centre within the Nasser Medical Complicated, the place sufferers line up ready their flip on the accessible machines whereas the medical workers attempt to deal with growing numbers and restricted assets.
The elder Mr. Hajji then begins his dialysis session as a well being employee displays his situation through the remedy, which lasts between three and 5 hours.
“It is vitally tough, particularly with the excessive temperatures, so I needed to carry a fan with me, and I additionally have to fill the oxygen cylinder day by day,” Mr. Hajji defined.
Lack of kit
The dearth of kit exacerbates the struggling of sufferers, mentioned Hamza Abu Raya, one of many centre’s staff.
“We’re below a whole lot of strain on the dialysis machines, lots of that are worn out,” he mentioned. “We additionally endure from a scarcity of remedy provides, together with bicarbonate, along with the unavailability of the drug Eprex for a very long time, which will increase the struggling of sufferers.”
Shortages of gasoline, spare components and medical provides are frequent, in response to the newest studies from the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They’re compounded by studies warning of the continued unfold of infectious illnesses and the growing strain on current well being amenities.
In the meantime, well being companions proceed to function companies to the utmost extent attainable.
One other journey residence
After the remedy session, Mr. Hajji is returned to his wheelchair.
He then waits exterior the hospital gate.
He’ll take the identical donkey-led cart again to his tent, in preparation for yet one more journey that’s repeated thrice each week.
