Ref: 43/2009

Date: 25 March 2009

Time: 13:00 GMT  

 PCHR Appeals for Action to Save Lives of Gaza Strip Patients     

The Palestinian Centre for human rights (PCHR) is appealing to the Ministries of Health in the Ramallah and Gaza Governments to take all possible measures to facilitate referrals for Gazan patients who need urgent medical treatment outside Gaza.    

The Centre is alarmed at the deterioration of patient’s health following two key political decisions on healthcare provision. In January 2009, the Ramallah Ministry of Health (MOH) cancelled financial coverage for all Palestinian patients in Israeli hospitals, including those who in the middle of long term treatment.

On 22 March, the Gaza Ministry of Health subsequently took over the Department of External Medical Treatment in Gaza. The Ministry of Health dismissed the department Director, Dr. Bassam al-Badri, who was appointed by the Government in Ramallah with the prior approval of the Gaza Government. This means that all coordination procedures required to facilitate Gaza patient’s access to Palestinian hospitals in the West Bank via Erez Crossing have now been suspended. This crisis has been exacerbated by the continued closure of Rafah Crossing. Patients in Gaza now have no access to medical treatment outside of Gaza.  

In light of the continuing siege and closure of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah International Crossing Point, the lives of hundreds of Gaza patients are now at risk.  

PCHR is following developments, including monitoring the health of hundreds of patients in the Gaza Strip who require urgent medical treatment that remains unavailable in Gaza hospitals. According to information made available to PCHR, the health of many of these patients is deteriorating. PCHR has been made aware of a number of cases of patients who were admitted to Gaza hospitals after being denied access to treatment abroad. Relatives of these patients are now visiting the PCHR Legal Unit on a daily basis, asking the Centre to intervene immediately.

PCHR holds the governments in Ramallah and in Gaza fully responsible for the consequences that their actions may have on the lives of Gaza patients. The Centre appeals to both parties to act on their legal and moral responsibilities to save the lives of these patients, including civilians who sustained injuries during the recent Israeli military offensive in Gaza. These men, women and children are being denied urgent medical treatment to which they are entitled.   

PCHR calls upon:

• The Ramallah Ministry of Health to immediately reinstate financial coverage for the hundreds of Palestinian patients who need to complete life-saving treatment in Israeli hospitals, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These include 57 children who need to complete ongoing treatment in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Suspending medical referrals in the context of the ongoing siege of Gaza is putting these patients’ lives at risk, and the Government in Ramallah must accept responsibility for this situation.
• The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Gaza Government to reverse its take over of the Department of External Medical Treatment. The Gaza MOH must allow the Director and his staff to return to work immediately, in order for them to advocate for hundreds of patients who need urgent medical treatment abroad.
• The Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations, as an Occupying Power, with respect to the care and protection of the Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as codified in, inter alia, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and the two Additional Protocols of 1977.