There is a “shortage” of essential medical supplies in Ukraine, health officials have warned in condemning at least 16 attacks on health services in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said there had been 16 attacks on health services, including damage to facilities and hospitals, as well as the commandeering of ambulances and the hijacking of ambulances from ’emergency.

These attacks left nine dead and 16 injured, according to the WHO.

The European branch of the global health body also said there was a shortage of essential supplies in Ukraine, including oxygen, insulin, surgical supplies and blood.

Experts have also warned that Covid deaths will rise due to a lack of oxygen supply in the region – with 731 deaths reported last week.

Meanwhile, health officials have raised concerns about cases of hypothermia – where a person’s body temperature becomes dangerously low – among refugees in cold weather.

They also highlighted fears over maternity care for pregnant Ukrainian women, with around 80,000 women expected to give birth in the country in the next three months.

During a press briefing on the humanitarian crisis that resulted from the conflict, Dr Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “It is now 13 days since the military offensive began in Ukraine, and today in the country, we see a health system under great pressure, and beyond its borders the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe for more than 75 years.

“Life-saving essential medicines, such as oxygen and insulin, personal protective equipment, surgical supplies, anesthetics and safe blood products, are in short supply.”

He said 76 tons of trauma and emergency health supplies are in transit in Ukraine, with more on the way.

WHO is also working to ensure that refugees crossing the border have access to health care and that those who remain in the country also receive support.

Dr Kluge added: “It should not be necessary to say that health workers, hospitals and other medical establishments should never be a target at any time, including during crises and conflicts. To date, we have 16 confirmed reports of health incidents in Ukraine, with more being verified.

“WHO strongly condemns these attacks on health services.”

Dr Catherine Smallwood, WHO Europe incident manager for Covid-19, said: “We have documented or verified 16 attacks with varying levels of certainty.

“These have, to our knowledge, caused at least nine deaths and 16 injuries, and they have occurred in various major cities and around conflict zones.

“This includes direct attacks on health facilities or hospitals that have been damaged.

“It also includes the appropriation of health infrastructure such as ambulances, it includes the diversion of ambulances and their use for purposes not directly related to the provision of health care.”

Dr Kluge praised Ukrainian health officials for continuing to monitor the spread of Covid-19, but added that “731 Covid-19 deaths were reported to WHO from Ukraine last week, and unfortunately, that number will increase as oxygen shortages continue.”

He said: “Older people will be disproportionately affected because their access to healthcare is disrupted and because only a third of those over 60 are fully protected with a full course of vaccines.”

Asked about the humanitarian corridors, Dr Kluge said: “Time is running out, so in that sense, willy-nilly, we need to get whatever we can to the affected areas.

“We know from previous conflicts that when more doors close, health diplomacy becomes key.

“Our principle is health for all and our top priority is to get life-saving humanitarian medical supplies to people in need.”

On maternity care, Dr Isabel Yordi Aguirre, WHO Europe Technical Officer for Gender and Human Rights, said: “The estimate from UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund ) that 80,000 women will give birth in the next three months in Ukraine means that these women may have gone from a life-changing experience to a life-threatening experience.

“The UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) predicts that by July this year we will have four million refugees, which will mean around 1,000 births per week that will be anticipated.

“That’s why we must ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are at the heart of our assistance to women – refugees crossing borders and women left behind.”

Tarik Jasarevic, WHO Field Representative in Ukraine, said at the briefing: “It is heartbreaking to see hundreds, if not thousands, of people on the border between Ukraine and Poland – mainly women and children seeking treatment and seeking safety.

He added: “In the east, hundreds of health facilities are either areas that have changed control or are along the battle lines or within 10 kilometers of them.

“Health facilities need supplies, they need electricity, they need water.

“I have just spoken to a doctor who is in contact with his colleagues in the most affected areas in the East and she was telling me that people cannot access health centers and hospitals because of security and the structural damage.

“And this is not just the case for patients but also for health workers who risk their lives to get to their place of work.”