2020 oPt Emergency Appeal - Gaza - Emergency Health

The high number of casualties in the context of the ?Great March of Return? demonstrations has increased the burden on an already struggling public health sector in Gaza, with a negative impact on its ability to deliver essential health care services. Currently, the average waiting time for elective surgery is approximately 12 months. Moreover, Palestine refugees requiring hospital treatment find it increasingly difficult to cover the cost of secondary and/or tertiary healthcare as a consequence of the prevailing socio-economic conditions in Gaza. In order to alleviate the burden on the public health services and to ensure refugees? access to secondary and tertiary healthcare, UNRWA will continue to offer subsidies to 7,200 patients in support of such care at non-Agency facilities. Funding under the 2020 EA will ensure that the 22 UNRWA health centres in the Gaza Strip are adequately supplied and staffed to respond to patients presenting emergency short- term medical needs. The Agency will provide life-saving medicines to 4,500 cases requiring urgent medical attention and emergency surge staff will continue to address health needs, including those resulting from the GMR demonstrations, through injury/postoperative care, physiotherapy and psychosocial support. It is expected that school health team screenings will assess around 97,000 students (46,000 girls and 51,000 boys) to identify students with special learning support needs. The Agency will provide students in need with medical treatment and assistive devices, such as hearing aids, eye glasses and counselling as required.