Hundreds missing from Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital, only 5 doctors remain: WHO
Gaza: The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, the primary medical facility in the governorate of Deir el-Balah, has faced severe disruption as a result of intensified bombing, leading to the evacuation of both medical staff and approximately 600 patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) reported the concerning situation after visiting the hospital on Sunday.
Witnessing distressing scenes, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described people of all ages receiving treatment on blood-streaked floors and in chaotic corridors. The hospital, critical for providing medical services in the region, is now facing challenges due to the evacuation orders and safety concerns, with a significant reduction in the number of health staff. As of the latest reports, only five doctors remain, and the existing personnel are experiencing shortages of essential supplies, including food.
According to a post from the Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, his staff witnessed “sickening scenes of people of all ages being treated on blood-streaked floors and in chaotic corridors.
“Al Aqsa is the most important hospital remaining in Gaza’s Middle Area and must remain functional, and protected, to deliver its lifesaving services,” Dr Ghebreyesus stated.
“Further erosion of its functionality cannot be permitted – doing so in the face of such trauma, injury and humanitarian suffering would be a moral and medical outrage.”
“During today’s mission, we were informed that evacuation orders and lack of safety had forced most health staff to leave. Tonight’s reports indicate that only 5 doctors remain. Hospital management said health workers had no food,” WHO chief wrote.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reported the cessation of life-saving and critical activities by their emergency medical team at the hospital due to increased Israeli military activity. The UN and WHO dispatched an emergency team that distributed medical supplies, including support for dialysis and trauma care for thousands of patients. Plans for deploying additional emergency staff are in progress to address the escalating humanitarian crisis at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
The WHO Director-General emphasized the importance of preserving the hospital's functionality to deliver life-saving services amid the ongoing trauma, injury, and humanitarian suffering.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
