Medhat Abbas, director-general of Al Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, told Al Jazeera that there is currently a 40 per cent shortage of medicines and medical supplies in Gaza's hospitals.

"This is including trauma and emergency requirements, in addition to some orthopaedic kits," said Abbas.

The large number of injured people flowing into Gaza's 13 hospitals - Abbas estimated 390 in the first four days of fighting - are sure to drain what little supplies they have left.

Saline solution, suturing supplies, anaesthetics and tools, such as plates, rods, screws, needed to stabilise complex fractures are in especially short supply, he said. 

"What would have been enough for one week will be consumed in a few hours," said Abbas, adding that hospitals also need spare parts for CT scanning machines, which are crucial for diagnosing injuries. Most of the injuries stem from shrapnel wounds and bone fractures, with a few patients requiring amputations.

Read the full report at Al-Jazeera