Ref: 07/2021
Date: 28 January 2021
On Thursday, 28 January 2021, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded its 2nd training course in 2021 on “Human Rights and Mechanisms to Promote Right to Health.” Twenty-four male and female doctors received the 20-hour training, which was held over the course of 4 days between 20 – 28 January 2021. The training was conducted in coordination with the Palestinian Doctors Association.
These training courses are held for the 3rd consecutive year, under project “Promote, Respect, and Fulfill the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health in the Gaza Strip” implemented by PCHR in partnership with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) and funded by the European Union.
The project aims to improve access to healthcare, legal counseling and legal assistance for Palestinian patients; to mainstream the culture of international human rights and humanitarian law, particularly the right to health, by building the capacities of those working in the health sector; and to promote improved monitoring, documenting and reporting of violations of the right to health.
At the end of the course, PCHR held a closing ceremony where Abdel Halim Abu Samra, Head of PCHR’s Training Unit, emphasized the importance of holding training courses in the field of the right to health for doctors in order to build their capacities and disseminate the culture of human rights and the principles of the right to health. Such training courses, he added, enhance doctors’ skills towards promoting the right to health and improving access to the highest standards of healthcare in the Gaza Strip. The training aims to train and empower a healthcare cadre able to provide medical assistance in accordance with human rights principles.
Additionally, Abu Samra commended the role of medical crews as the first defenders in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, praising the Palestinian Doctors Association role in defending human rights and the right to health. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining ties between PCHR and the Association to empower doctors, especially recent graduates, in the field of human rights, particularly that doctors are considered part of the human rights movement.
For their part, the participants praised the training program’s emphasis on building the capacities of those working in the health sector towards improving health services and access to health. They added that the training course brought them new knowledge, with the rich topics it addressed and its contribution to raising participants’ awareness of human rights in general, particularly the right to health. They also commended the competence of the trainers and training methodology both participatory and diverse.
