Frequent power outages at a hospital in the northern Gaza Strip have threatened the lives of many seriously ill patients, including critically ill children, as well as those injured in relentless Israeli bombardments since the latest round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October last year.
Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City has the only functioning pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the northern Gaza Strip. However, the lack of electricity frequently leads to power outages in medical equipment, endangering the lives of many seriously ill children.
Anas Obaid, 14, was injured two weeks ago in the Israeli military attack on Al-Tabi’in school that killed over 100 Palestinians. Although Obaid survived, he suffered severe burns and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital.
“My health is deteriorating due to the power outages. There are about a dozen power outages here every hour. When the power goes out, the air conditioning stops working. The equipment I need for my treatment also stops working. My body temperature rises very quickly. Every morning, my body temperature is affected by the power outages,” he said.
The operation of the PICU and NICU requires a 24-hour power supply, but the hospital currently relies on an old and inefficient solar power system to generate electricity. Many medical devices do not work properly, resulting in the deaths of many critically ill children.
“These devices are very sensitive to the power supply. An unstable power supply can cause damage to circuit boards and other components of electrical devices. As you can see, there are a lot of damaged devices piling up here. Because of the (Israeli) blockade, we cannot get spare parts for these devices. We cannot find (spare parts) in the warehouses of this or other hospitals because most of the equipment in the hospitals is damaged,” said Fares Awda, an engineer specializing in medical equipment maintenance.
Israel is conducting a major offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas attack on Israel’s southern border on October 7, 2023, that left about 1,200 people dead and about 250 taken hostage. The protracted conflict has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead in the enclave.
Frequent power outages in hospitals in the Gaza Strip endanger the lives of patients in critical condition
The 31st Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Exhibition 2024 (BIRTV2024) ended on Saturday after 506 domestic and foreign smart device manufacturers gathered to showcase their latest technologies, products and applications in broadcasting and online audiovisual.
It is noteworthy that almost 80 percent of the innovations presented made their debut at the event.
The five-day event took place from Tuesday to Saturday and attracted over 57,000 industry professionals from around the world, setting a new visitor record for the exhibition.
Under the theme “Omnimedia, Ultra High Definition, Intelligent Integration”, BIRTV2024 highlighted the latest technological advances and industry trends with the aim of strengthening the broadcast, television and online audiovisual sectors through innovative solutions.
The exhibition consisted of three major pavilions and eight special areas and offered a comprehensive presentation of high-quality developments in broadcasting and online audiovisual services.
BIRTV2024 was organized by China Broadcasting International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. under the joint patronage of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) and China Media Group, the state-owned broadcaster.
Since its establishment in 1987, BIRTV has served as an important platform for promoting industry policies, showcasing development achievements and innovations, and facilitating international exchanges in the broadcasting and audiovisual sectors.
In addition, the event plays an important role in promoting the introduction of new products, technologies and services and contributes to the continuous, high-quality development of the industry.
Expo in Beijing presents groundbreaking innovations in broadcasting and audiovisual Internet
