Project Details

The health sector in the Gaza Strip is experiencing one of the most complex and prolonged health crises, as a result of the extensive damage to health infrastructure and the sharp decline in the operational capacity of hospitals and medical centers, alongside rising health needs caused by injuries and chronic and emergency medical conditions. The continuation of the crisis has placed the health system before unprecedented challenges related to providing essential medical services, maintaining the readiness of health facilities, and securing the resources and space needed to continue delivering care to patients.

According to World Health Organization data, 34 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, or about 94%, had been damaged by 31 August 2025, while only 18 hospitals were partially functioning, and only 39% of primary healthcare facilities were operational. This decline has directly affected the health system’s capacity, as a limited number of facilities now bear the greatest share of the population’s medical needs, amid a severe shortage of staff, materials, supplies, and operational resources.

The project to expand the intensive care unit in the Eastern Surgery Building at Al-Shifa Medical Complex aims to strengthen the unit’s operational capacity by creating new service and support spaces, thereby helping to improve the organization of the work environment, increase the efficiency of supplies and materials management, and reduce the pressure caused by limited available space, in support of the continued delivery of critical care services efficiently and safely.

The targeted unit is located within the Eastern Surgery Building at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which underwent comprehensive restoration and rehabilitation works in several phases, including the development and equipping of a number of key medical facilities, most notably the intensive care unit with a capacity of 14 beds and 6 operating rooms, in addition to surgical inpatient wards, making the building one of the vital components supporting surgical services and critical care within the complex.

The intensive care unit is considered one of the departments under high operational pressure, as it provides critical care services for approximately 60 cases per month, reflecting the scale of the actual need for the service and confirming the importance of maintaining the unit’s readiness and its ability to continuously handle the cases referred to it. In light of the limited space available within the unit, there is a clear need to make the most efficient possible use of the surrounding and available spaces and to provide dedicated service spaces that help organize work and reduce overcrowding within the clinical and operational areas.