As an anticipated ceasefire in Gaza draws closer, Egypt has emphasized the preparedness of its hospitals to receive Palestinian people in need for treatment through the Rafah border crossing.
Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt's Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister, held a meeting with ministry leaders to emphasize the importance of ensuring medical readiness at all healthcare facilities when the crossing opens.
He called for the highest quality health services to be provided to the Palestinians.
To facilitate this, Abdel Ghaffar directed an increase in the number of medical teams in emergency care departments and the enhancement of medical equipment in hospitals.
The minister reassured that hospitals have sufficient stocks of medicines, medical supplies, and blood types, all while preparations for relief work in the Gaza Strip are underway.
He also highlighted the heavy deployment of ambulance points to ensure swift medical response.
The world is eagerly anticipating the moment next Sunday afternoon when Israel is expected to implement the ceasefire in Gaza, after more than 15 months of war.
This long-awaited feat is expected to facilitate a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been grappling with severe shortages of essential supplies, while also allowing for the transfer of injured Palestinians to hospitals outside the enclave.
As per the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, 600 truckloads of aid are set to be delivered to Gaza on a daily basis during the first phase, spanning six weeks. Of these trucks, 50 will be carrying fuel. Half of these 600 aid trucks will head to northern Gaza, where a famine looms.
Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy directed the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) to intensify efforts to deliver further amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza in coordination with Egyptian state authorities.
The ceasefire deal was announced by the mediators, Egypt, Qatar and the US last Wednesday. Israel’s security cabinet ratified the ceasefire agreement on Friday and the full cabinet is expected to approve it shortly.
Source: Egypt Today
