Libyan Red Crescent provides medicines to Ali Askr Hospital
26 August 2014 – Recent fighting has led to an increased number of war-related traumas and injuries. Large hospitals in Tripoli and Benghazi are overwhelmed with patients requiring emergency and trauma care. These hospitals are also challenged by shortages in essential medicines and qualified heath staff.
The emergency medical system was already weak before the escalation in violence, has collapsed in many areas. Deficiencies in the system include the lack of monitoring of the response time and the limited skills of the ambulance attendants who are mostly first aid workers. Despite availability of ambulances and air ambulances, emergency transportation is not possible as physical accessibility to hospitals is adversely affected in Libya due to the prevailing security situation as well fuel shortages and poor communications. Five newly equipped ambulances were hijacked and stolen on August 28, 2014.
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