Ref: 46/2022

Date: 29 December 2022

On Wednesday, 28 December 2022, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) held a meeting with officials from the Service Purchase Unit (SPU)- Treatment Abroad in Ramallah. The meeting came as part of PCHR’s endeavors to promote the right to health for the Gaza Strip population and facilitate the access of patients referred for treatment abroad to proper treatment services.

PCHR’s delegation comprised of Dr. Fadel al-Muzani, Head of PCHR’s Economic and Social Rights Unit, Mohammed Bessiso and. Mohammed al-‘Alami, lawyers at PCHR’s Legal Unit, met with Dr. ‘Afif al-‘Atawnah, Head of SPU at the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH) in his office in Ramallah with the attendance of SPU staff.  The meeting discussed SPU mechanisms to refer Gaza patients for treatment abroad and the problems the patients face during their treatment at the hospitals they are referred to.

During the meeting, PCHR’s delegation emphasized the importance of constant communication between PCHR and various MOH’s units to document and monitor the violations against Gaza patients and work on ending challenges and obstacles that prevent these patients from having the proper treatment services.

For his part, Dr. ‘Afif al-‘Atawnah, reviewed challenges facing the SPU, stressing that MOH pays great attention to Gaza patients referred for treatment abroad. ‘Atawanah highlighted the importance of integrated work with civil society organizations to ensure easy referral of Gaza patients during all its stages. He also praised PCHR’s role in providing legal aid for patients and helping them to finishing the referral procedures for treatment abroad. Also, he called for intensifying efforts to improve the health conditions of the Gaza Strip population.

Earlier this month, PCHR held a meeting with Mr. Mousa Abu Ghayyad, Director of the MOH’s Coordination and Liaison Department (CLA) in Gaza City, in the presence of the Department’s staff. The meeting aimed at learning about Israel’s latest restrictions imposed on the referral system of patients for treatment abroad and shedding light on the most significant problems the Department faces while referring patients for treatment abroad. PCHR and Mr. Ghayyad agreed on promoting cooperation and communication between PCHR and CLA to help Gaza patients during their referral for treatment abroad. These meetings come under the “Promote, Improve, Respect, and Protect the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health in the Gaza Strip” project that is funded by the European Union (EU).