Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip: After two months

The Red Cross Field Hospital remains operational in the western side of Rafah, southern Gaza. The impact of the ongoing armed conflict is felt at the field hospital in increasing rates of consultations, surgeries, deliveries, and admissions.

In the first month, the hospital responded to two mass casualty incidents; in the last week of June alone, three. The occupancy rate of the field hospital fluctuates between 50% and 80% on a daily basis and may peak to 95% (leaving only 3 maternity beds available) on days with mass influxes of patients. This happened on 3 July when – with the help of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) – the ICRC transferred 23 patients from the European Gaza Hospital (EGH) to the field hospital after it was unable to continue functioning since many of their staff evacuated after evacuation orders were issued for large areas in southernmost Rafah and Khan Younis. 

Since the opening of the hospital on 9 May, more than 80% of the surgeries performed have been categorized as war-wounded surgery – that is, surgical interventions for wounds resulting from direct impact of the armed conflict. The main types of surgeries can be broken down to: removal of dead or infected tissue (48%), general surgical interventions (36%), orthopaedic surgeries (10%), and others (7%). 

Despite the efforts of the teams, the past month has seen 70 patients succumb to their wounds – some being declared deceased before or upon arrival, and some when undergoing treatment. 

The field hospital operates with around 230 staff (200 Palestinian staff and 30 expatriate staff), of which 50 are clinical staff and 180 are non-clinical staff. A number of PRCS volunteers joined the ICRC and are supporting the daily operations of the hospital