In the isolation ward of Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City, Palestinian mothers spend sleepless nights beside their sick children, watching their temperatures rise and waiting anxiously for signs that treatment is working.
DaysOfPal — In the isolation ward of Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City, Palestinian mothers spend sleepless nights beside their sick children, watching their temperatures rise and waiting anxiously for signs that treatment is working.
For families already displaced by Israel’s war on Gaza, meningitis has become another threat to their children’s survival. Doctors warn that overcrowded shelters, inadequate sanitation, malnutrition and shortages of medical supplies are increasing the risks associated with infectious diseases.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Bacterial meningitis is particularly dangerous because it can progress rapidly, causing seizures, neurological damage, hearing loss or death without prompt treatment.
At Al-Rantisi, mothers describe children suffering persistent fevers, vomiting, weakness and loss of appetite. Even as treatment begins to improve their condition, families fear returning to displacement camps where sewage, accumulated garbage and poor sanitation remain part of daily life.
A Fever That Would Not Go Away
Moeen Al-Badrasawi’s illness began with a persistent high fever that repeatedly returned despite his mother’s efforts to bring it down.
When she took him to Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, doctors examined a sample of his cerebrospinal fluid and diagnosed bacterial meningitis after detecting an elevated white blood cell count.
He was admitted for treatment with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.
His mother says his condition has gradually improved, but she remains worried about the environment awaiting him after discharge.
Around their shelter, sewage flows through open areas and garbage accumulates nearby. She fears that returning to those conditions will expose her son to further infections before he has fully recovered.
A Week of Fever Before Diagnosis
For Hussam Al-Attar, the illness went undiagnosed for nearly a week as his family sought medical help for a fever that kept returning.
His mother says fever-reducing medication provided temporary relief, but his temperature rose again whenever its effects wore off.
Eventually, doctors at Al-Rantisi examined his cerebrospinal fluid and diagnosed viral meningitis.
Hussam is now receiving intravenous treatment every six hours, according to his mother, but continues to experience recurring fevers, poor appetite and reduced fluid intake.
She says the illness has left him exhausted and far less active than before.
The family’s displacement tent is surrounded by sewage, insects and rodents, conditions she fears could undermine his recovery.
Ten Days at Her Daughter’s Bedside
Ibtihaj Abu Ghalwa has spent nearly ten days beside her daughter Hala at Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital.
Hala developed symptoms before her family brought her to the hospital, where medical tests confirmed meningitis.
She remains under treatment and observation as her mother waits for signs of recovery.
The family lives in a tent in Al-Shati refugee camp, surrounded by rubble and debris.
Abu Ghalwa describes the living conditions as extremely difficult and worries that her daughter will return to the same environment after leaving the hospital.
For these mothers, a child’s recovery is not simply a matter of receiving treatment. It also means finding a way to protect them from further illness in displacement camps where basic sanitation and adequate shelter remain out of reach.
Doctors Warn of Severe Complications and Child Deaths
The cases at Al-Rantisi reflect a wider concern among medical workers across Gaza.
At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, head of the pediatric department, reports that the hospital continues to receive meningitis patients in both its neonatal and pediatric wards.
According to Al-Farra, the neonatal unit receives approximately one or two cases daily, with a similar number recorded in the pediatric department.
He says viral meningitis was more prevalent last year, particularly during the summer, but doctors are now seeing a concerning number of bacterial infections.
Al-Farra links the increased risk of infectious diseases to deteriorating living conditions across Gaza, including malnutrition, overcrowding, contaminated water, sewage accumulation, inadequate hygiene supplies and weakened immunity.
He warns that delayed diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis can result in permanent complications, including hearing loss, visual impairment and developmental difficulties.
Over the past three months, four children have died in the intensive care unit at Nasser Medical Complex after developing bacterial meningitis accompanied by bloodstream infections involving Neisseria bacteria, according to Al-Farra.
He stresses that meningitis can also affect newborns, sometimes beginning with symptoms as common as unexplained fever and vomiting.
Doctors use cerebrospinal fluid testing, alongside other clinical and laboratory findings, to help distinguish bacterial meningitis from viral infections and determine the appropriate treatment.
Al-Farra cited one particularly severe case in which the white blood cell count in a child’s cerebrospinal fluid reached 30,000 cells, an exceptionally high level indicating significant inflammation.
He emphasized that early diagnosis and timely medical intervention are essential to reducing the risk of death and permanent neurological damage.
For mothers caring for children with meningitis, the struggle extends beyond hospital walls. Even when treatment succeeds, they face the prospect of returning to overcrowded tents and unsanitary surroundings, where protecting their children from another infection remains an overwhelming challenge.
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