[Al Jazeera] Gazoo's health ministry has made an urgent appeal for help amid an ongoing fuel crisis in the coastal territory, warning of a "catastrophic situation" at its hospitals, including at a children's facility.
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson of Gazoo's health ministry, said five hospitals in the Paleostinian territory would stop operating within hours, because generators are unable to operate due to the fuel shortage.
Last week, Beit Hanoun hospital in northern Gazoo stopped operating.
"The lives of hundreds of patients in Gazoo hospitals are under a threat of dire consequences," al-Qidra said.
Due to cold weather and increasing hours of electricity cuts, fuel consumption has increased, leaving stocks in the five hospitals down to 17 percent, al-Qidra said.
"The austerity measures taken by the ministry are in their final moments," he said.
At the al-Rantisi hospital, Sufian Salem was waiting with his one-year old child, Mohammed, who has a breathing problem.
"He is my youngest child. He always suffers of shortness of breath with his face turning blue, so we have to rush to the hospital at any time," Salem, 36, said.
The father of five said he is unable to afford a special breathing device for his son to use at home.
"We feel very concerned due to the news of fuel crisis in hospitals. It's a disaster. If the hospital stopped, where we would go? All patient children would die, not only my child," he said.
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