Türkiye Ready to Take Cancer Patients from Shut Gaza Hospital

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes on the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, 02 November 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes on the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, 02 November 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Türkiye Ready to Take Cancer Patients from Shut Gaza Hospital

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes on the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, 02 November 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes on the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, 02 November 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Türkiye is ready to take in cancer patients from Gaza's Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital, which went out of service on Wednesday after running out of fuel, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.
Health officials said on Wednesday that the hospital, which was the only cancer treatment hospital in the Gaza Strip, had to shut down amid Israel's bombardment of the enclave.
In a statement on social messaging platform X, Koca said that if the necessary coordination was done Türkiye was ready to bring both cancer patients and others in need of emergency help to Türkiye to continue their treatment.
"As Türkiye... we are ready to provide any and all support in continuing the treatment of cancer patients who were forcibly discharged from the hospital due to a lack of resources," Koca said.
"The international community and relevant institutions have unfortunately not taken enough initiative to prevent the attacks on the hospital. Saving the lives of the patients is now a duty that cannot be escaped," he added.

Türkiye has so far sent more than 200 tons of humanitarian aid and a team of medical personnel to Egypt for Gazans, while also offering to set up a field hospital near the Rafah border crossing.



WHO Says Polio Mass Vaccination Campaign to Resume in Gaza 

Palestinian families gather at Gaza port to enjoy and watch the sunset, 17 February 2025. (EPA)
Palestinian families gather at Gaza port to enjoy and watch the sunset, 17 February 2025. (EPA)
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WHO Says Polio Mass Vaccination Campaign to Resume in Gaza 

Palestinian families gather at Gaza port to enjoy and watch the sunset, 17 February 2025. (EPA)
Palestinian families gather at Gaza port to enjoy and watch the sunset, 17 February 2025. (EPA)

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a mass campaign to vaccinate children against polio in Gaza would resume on Saturday, with over half a million children targeted.

"The current environment in Gaza, including overcrowding in shelters and severely damaged water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, which facilitates fecal-oral transmission, create ideal conditions for further spread of poliovirus," the WHO statement said.

"Extensive population movement consequent to the current ceasefire is likely to exacerbate the spread of poliovirus infection," it added.