The destruction caused by the war, economic hardship and shortages of medical supplies have made dental care increasingly inaccessible in Gaza. Dr. Rizq Sufyan Abo Halima, a dentist in Gaza City, is now treating patients in a small tent after being unable to find an affordable space for a clinic.

Access to healthcare has become increasingly difficult across the Gaza Strip, while dental care in particular has become a luxury that many people can no longer afford.

Dr. Rizq Sufyan Abo Halima, a 31-year-old dentist in Gaza City, is continuing to provide dental treatment from a small tent because of soaring rental costs and the severe shortage of available commercial spaces.

He lost both of his clinics

Dr. Abo Halima’s former clinic, Smile One, in Sheikh Zayed City in northern Gaza, was bombed during the early days of the war.

In May last year, he opened a new clinic in Gaza City’s al-Nasr neighborhood. Just three months later, the clinic was also destroyed when Israeli forces attacked the area.

Today, Dr. Abo Halima performs emergency dental procedures and other treatments in a small tent near the ruins of his former clinic.

Frequent electricity cuts make providing treatment even more difficult.

Clinic rents have risen to around $1,000

The destruction of buildings across Gaza has sharply reduced the availability of residential and commercial properties, while the few remaining spaces have become increasingly expensive.

According to data from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), more than four-fifths of buildings in Gaza City and northern Gaza have been completely destroyed or severely damaged. Fewer than one in five buildings across Gaza remain usable.

Before the war, Dr. Abo Halima said he rented an entire apartment for his clinic for 500 shekels, approximately $166, per month.

Today, renting a similar space can cost around $1,000 a month.

“I endure the heat so my patients do not have to pay more”

Using a tent is the cheapest option available to Dr. Abo Halima. He says he does not want to pass the high cost of renting a clinic on to patients who are already struggling with severe economic hardship.

According to the dentist, renting an apartment for his clinic would nearly double the cost of basic procedures such as dental fillings for patients.

For that reason, he has chosen to continue working in the tent despite the extreme summer heat.

Dr. Abo Halima also takes precautions to protect his patients. He regularly sterilizes his instruments to protect them from dust and germs and employs a security guard because the thin canvas walls provide little protection against theft.

Patients are choosing extractions over fillings

The economic crisis in Gaza is forcing patients to make difficult choices about their dental treatment.

Twenty-five-year-old Yousef Abo Halima said he could tolerate the intense heat inside the tent but could not afford the high cost of fillings at clinics operating from apartments.

Heba Rihan, 23, who works at the clinic, has witnessed similar situations.

After graduating from Al-Aqsa University with a degree in general nursing, Rihan struggled to find work in her field. She eventually began working at Dr. Abo Halima’s clinic in May after making a difficult daily journey on foot from southern Gaza to the west in search of employment.

One of her regular responsibilities is explaining to patients why treatment costs have increased because of shortages of materials and the broader consequences of the war and siege.

“He chose to have his tooth extracted”

Rihan recalled one case that particularly affected her.

A patient arrived at the clinic suffering from severe dental pain. When he learned that a filling would cost 350 shekels, approximately $116, he said he could not afford it.

He then asked about having the tooth extracted, which cost only 50 shekels, or around $17.

Unable to bear the pain or afford the filling, the patient chose to have his natural tooth extracted.

For many people in Gaza, the destruction caused by the war, the strain on the healthcare infrastructure and the collapse of the local economy have transformed even basic dental treatment into an unaffordable service.

Source: Al Jazeera

Kaynak: Al Jazeera