Ref: 08/2014
Date: 04 February 2014
Time: 13:00 GMT

On Sunday, 02 February 2014, E. M. Z. (18), from Rafah, died after she was admitted to Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital as she fell into a coma during a Quran therapy session.

According to the statement of the girl’s uncle to a PCHR’s fieldworker, E. Z. had been having speech disorders and had been unable to move for 5 months. Her health condition deteriorated gradually until she stopped going to school, when she was a student in the 12th grade. He added that the girl’s family took her to a number of doctors for treatment, but there were no signs of progress. As a result, they resorted to a Sheikh who claimed that he had the ability to treat people with Quran. At approximately 12:00, on 02 February 2014, Sheikh E. ‘A. Z. went to the girl’s house and started a therapy session that lasted until 17:00, during which he recited Quranic prayers. He also offered the girl salt and an unidentifiable substance dissolved in water. He claimed the mixture was against spells. The girl refused in the beginning to drink it, but the Sheikh obliged her to do so with the help of her brother. After she drank the mixture gradually, she fainted. She was taken to Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital while she was in coma. The doctors failed to revive her and pronounced her dead 10 minutes later. Her uncle said the General Prosecution ordered referring the girl’s corpse to the forensic department to identify the cause of death. On Monday, 03 February 2014, the corpse was examined at the forensic department. Initial examination showed the existence of extra salt in the digestive system. The final forensic report will be issued a week later.

It should be noted that the Palestinian police detained the Sheikh pending case. They discovered that he was detained earlier and pledged before the Criminal Police to not return to Quran therapy.
In view of the above, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR):

1. Calls upon the Attorney General to continue the investigation and publish its results publicly;
2. Demands the Ministry of Health to hold their legal responsibilities according to the Public Health Law 10/2004 and the international standards of the right to health, and take all possible legal measures to protect the civilians’ right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;
3. Demands the Ministry of Health to verify the legal measures for the practice of medicine in conformity with the law and to close all clinics or other societies that claim offering physical or mental health services without obtaining the license needed to practice or open a health institution.