Ref: 15/2023

Date: 02 March 2023

On Thursday, 02 March 2023, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) held a meeting with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Ramallah. The meeting was attended by representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), private and non-governmental hospitals, including al-Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem, An-Najah Hospital in Nablus, and al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron.  The meeting came as part of PCHR’s constant follow-up and communication with the decision-makers to improve the health conditions in the Gaza Strip and to overcome the problems facing patients referred for treatment outside the Strip.

PCHR’s delegation comprised of Dr. Fadel Al-Muzainy, Head of PCHR’s Economic and Social Rights Unit, Mohammad Al-‘Alami and lawyer at PCHR’s Legal Unit and PCHR’s Field researchers met with Rafat Abu Khader from Nablus, Huda Baragheth from Jerusalem and officials in the General Administration of Pharmacy and Service Purchase Unit (SPU) in the MOH in Ramallah.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Tahani Fattouh, Director of the General Administration of Pharmacy on behalf of the MOH, Ms. Cyrin Qarout, Director of the Import and Export Unit, Dr. Do’aa Al-Hamed, Pharmacy Director at the SPU, Mr. Nadeem Jabreen, Head of the Contacts Department at the SPU, Mr. Feras Fuqahaa, Head of Financial and Administrative Affairs at the SPU, Ms. Haneen Al-Najjar, Head of Drug Policies and Pricing Department at the General Administration of Pharmacy, Dr. Mustafa Al-Nadi, Director of Drug Registration, and Dr, Osama Al-Far, Director of MOH’s Drug Warehouses.

The meeting discussed the health conditions in the Gaza Strip, the suffering of patients referred for treatment abroad as a result of the Israeli restrictions on their travel, the chronic shortage of drugs and medical supplies, and lack of specialized medical devices to diagnose and treat serious diseases.

It was agreed to boost the cooperation and coordination between PCHR and MOH’s units to improve the health conditions in the Gaza Strip, and help patients referred for treatment abroad have their right to the highest attainable standard of health.

These meetings are held under “Promote, Respect, and Fulfill the Right to Health in the Gaza Strip” funded by the Human Rights Program at the German Federal Foreign Office.