Second Singaporean-funded polyclinic opens in North Gaza amid healthcare collapse

A second Singaporean-funded polyclinic has opened in North Gaza, offering essential medical care to displaced Palestinians as the humanitarian crisis in the enclave worsens after nearly two years of war and devastation. The facility was announced by Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh, founder of the humanitarian group Love Aid Singapore, in an Instagram update on Thursday (17 July). It follows the opening of the first Singaporean-supported polyclinic in early July at the Al Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, which is now fully operational. “Our second Singaporean polyclinic opens in North Gaza amidst an ongoing genocidal war which spans close to two years now,” Goh wrote. He described the situation in the north as increasingly desperate, with widespread and prolonged displacement. “The north is going through a very bad spell of displacement over many months and the majority are just too tired to move,” he added. Goh noted that most medical facilities in the region have been destroyed or damaged beyond repair, leaving residents with little or no access to healthcare. Love Aid Singapore took over an existing field clinic in the area that had lost its sponsor several months ago. The group plans to operate the clinic on a trial basis for one to two months before deciding whether to continue it permanently. According to Goh, the polyclinic serves a municipality area of around 5,000 Palestinians currently seeking refuge in the heavily damaged vicinity. If the group decides to take it on long-term, the clinic is expected to cost close to US$10,000 per month to operate, covering staff salaries and site rental. Goh noted that the response has been positive, with many people queuing up on the opening day for free medication. “Many people queued up on the opening day for free medication,” he noted, with videos showing dozens waiting to be treated at the facility. “Thank you, Singaporeans, for standing on the right side of humanity with me,” he added.

 

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No Functioning Health Facilities in North Gaza

It is noted that here are currently no operational health facilities in North Gaza. The last remaining hospital in the area, Al-Awda Hospital, was forced to cease operations in May after the Israeli military ordered its immediate evacuation. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the closure of Al-Awda means there are now no functioning hospitals left in the North Gaza governorate. In a report published in May 2025, the WHO warned that Israel’s intensified military operations were critically undermining Gaza’s already decimated health sector. Four major hospitals — Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and the European Gaza Hospital — were forced to suspend services within a single week due to their proximity to ongoing hostilities, newly declared evacuation zones, and direct attacks.

WHO: Gaza’s Health System on the Brink

The WHO recorded 28 attacks on healthcare facilities during that period alone, bringing the total to 697 documented attacks since October 2023. Currently, only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational. Of these, 12 continue to offer a range of services, while the remaining seven are restricted to basic emergency care. At least 94% of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. The few remaining facilities face extreme conditions — including critical shortages of medicine, dwindling numbers of healthcare workers, security threats, and a surge in casualties. The WHO described working conditions for medical staff as “impossible”.

Massive Gaps in Capacity and Access

Across Gaza, only 2,000 hospital beds are currently available for more than two million people — a number the WHO describes as “grossly insufficient”. At least 40 of these beds are located in hospitals within newly declared evacuation zones and are at immediate risk, while another 850 could be lost if nearby facilities are forced to shut. Ongoing hostilities and the presence of Israeli forces are also preventing patients from accessing care, obstructing medical staff, and hindering the WHO and its partners from delivering essential supplies. Since the conflict escalated on 7 October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that more than 58,500 Palestinians have been killed — including at least 17,400 children — and over 139,600 others injured.