Ref: 32/2018
On Wednesday, 26 September 2018, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) organized a workshop titled: “Patients Denied Treatment Abroad Claiming It is Either Available in Gaza or Improves Quality of Life.” This workshop aimed at promoting patients’ right to access healthcare services and to receive the proper medical treatment in addition to reviewing the Israeli restrictions that prevent them from traveling and deprive them of treatment. During the workshop, PCHR launched a report titled as “Banned from Treatment”, which addresses the Israeli authorities’ policies to deprive the Gaza strip patients from traveling abroad for treatment, claiming their treatment is available in the Gaza Strip hospitals.
Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director, opened the workshop, displaying the Israeli restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of the Gaza Strip population, including patients, which constitutes a crime against humanity and a violation of the rules of the international law. Sourani added that Israel as an occupying power is fully responsible for the lives of the Gaza Strip population, who are under occupation. He also said that the Israeli forces only receive the serious cases of the Gaza Strip patients due to their measures and policies against the Palestinian civilians in violation of all human morals and the law.
Fadel al-Muzaini, a researcher at PCHR, gave a presentation of the report titled: “Banned from Treatment”, which addresses the policy of the Israeli authorities that deprives the Gaza Strip patients from traveling abroad under the pretext that their treatment is available at the Gaza Strip hospitals. Al-Muzaini pointed out that the report refutes the Israeli authorities’ claims that the treatment of patients referred abroad is available at the Gaza Strip hospitals or even their disease does not pose threat to their lives “the quality of life.”
Mohammed Bseiso, a lawyer at PCHR’s Legal Unit, tackled the role of PCHR’s Legal Unit in helping those patients referred to treatment abroad. Bseiso pointed out that PCHR provides legal assistance to the Gaza Strip patients, who are banned from travelling, by sending requests to the Israeli authorities in order to reconsider the patients’ applications. These applications are attached with medical reports that confirm the serious health condition of patients. Bseiso highlighted that in 2017, 1118 requests to reconsider applications were submitted; 410 of which were approved. He added that in 2018, PCHR submitted 1030 applications; 370 of which were approved.
Dr. Zakaria Al-Louh, Director of Treatment Abroad Department at the Ministry of Health, addressed the procedures to refer the Gaza Strip patients, pointing out that those patients whose treatment is not available in the Gaza Strip have to meet the conditions of the specialized medical committee in order to be referred for medical treatment in hospitals and medical centers abroad. Al-Louh added that the urgent cases are not subject to the procedures of the medical committee or the financial coverage. Rather, the Treatment Abroad Department addresses the Coordination and Liaison Department to obtain approval on travel for medical treatment at hospitals abroad.
Rif’at Muhaisen, Director of the Coordination and Liaison Department in the Ministry of Health, reviewed the Department’s role in enabling patients to access healthcare services outside the Gaza Strip despite all the tight restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on their movement and deprival of hundred patients of leaving the Gaza Strip, claiming that their condition is not serious and can be treated at the Gaza Strip hospitals. Muhaisen noted that the Israeli authorities have no right to define the type of cases and its seriousness or if the patient needs treatment abroad or not.
In his speech, Orthopedic Consultant Dr. ‘Adnan al-Bursh confirmed that lack of medicine and medical consumables in addition to the large number of patients at the Gaza Strip hospitals force the Ministry to refer the patients for treatment abroad. Al-Bursh added that the restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement via the Gaza Strip crossings negatively affect the lives of patients and their access to the healthcare services and deny the access of doctors’ delegations into the Gaza Strip in order to train doctors and perform surgeries at the Gaza Strip hospitals.
Dr. Abdul Salam Sabbah, Consultant of Ophthalmology and Cornea, explained the need of the Gaza Strip patients for treatment abroad (ophthalmic patients), confirming that the number of ophthalmic patients, who need treatment abroad is from 700 to 800 patients; all of them suffer from cornea diseases or need corneal transplants and such cases can’t be treated at the Gaza Strip hospitals. Sabbah pointed out that the increasing number of the ophthalmic patients’ applications rejected by the Israeli authorities is unjustifiable as the patients’ applications that are referred for treatment abroad undergo strict conditions and are examined by the Higher Medical Committee that does not accept any referral of a patient for treatment abroad if the treatment is available in Gaza.
Mohammed Lafi, Advocacy Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO), stressed in his speech WHO’s role in promoting patients’ right to access healthcare. Lafi emphasized that the WHO follows up with deep concern the increasing rate of the rejected applications of patients, who are referred for treatment abroad. During the first six months of 2018, about 59% of the total applications were approved, which means that thousands of patients were deprived of their right to travel for treatment abroad though their treatment is not available at the Gaza Strip hospitals.
At the end of the workshop, discussion was opened for the participants, who made interventions and asked questions. The participants concluded a number of recommendations;
