The waiting game: Gaza’s CT scan shortage causing worries and worse

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a severe shortage of CT scan machines in Gaza is deepening an already fragile health crisis, leaving patients and doctors with long waits and limited diagnostic options. The article says the shortage is linked to extensive damage to medical infrastructure during the war, as well as the broader impact of the siege and shortages of equipment and supplies.

The piece centers on two patients in central Gaza. Dalia Al-Hawari’s 10-year-old son Ahmed was able to get a scan quickly after a head injury, and doctors found a skull fracture and severe bleeding that required urgent care. His case, however, is presented as an exception in a system where families often wait weeks or longer for imaging.

A physician at Yafa Hospital, Dr. Waseem Mansour, told Al Jazeera that Gaza had 18 CT scanners before the war began in October 2023, but only three are now functioning across the territory. He also said all MRI machines that were previously available are out of service. With one scanner at Al-Aqsa Hospital no longer working, remaining centers are handling more emergency cases and have had to ration exams, prioritizing life-threatening patients.

The article also describes the experience of 31-year-old Erin Al-Banna, who has waited about six weeks for imaging for kidney stones and ongoing pain. Al Jazeera says the broader concern is that delays in diagnosis can worsen outcomes, especially for cancer and other conditions that require timely follow-up.