Ref: 125/2011
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the
decision taken by the Palestinian Ministry of Health to decrease transfers of
patients who are in critical or serious health conditions to Israeli hospitals
to receive medical treatment or resume previous treatment, under the claim of rationalizing
medical transfers from the Gaza Strip.
PCHR expresses utmost concern for the lives of dozens of patients who
urgently need medical treatment in advanced health facilities, due to lack of
capabilities in hospitals throughout the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and
the Gaza Strip, with which the Ministry of Health deals.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, the Ministry of
Health in Ramallah issued a decision decreasing transfers of patients to
Israeli hospitals starting from 02 November 2011, and the Department of
External Treatment in Gaza has been committed to this decision. The decision is attributed, according to
sources of the Ministry, to the high costs of treatment in Israeli
hospitals. These sources pointed out
that this decision had been studied and discussed in the Ministry of Health for
years, but it was delayed due the need of some patients, especially those
suffering from serious or incurable diseases in need of treatment in advanced
health facilities, and because Israeli hospitals are closer to the Gaza Strip than
Egypt and Jordan.
This decision has led to stopping dozens of transfers of patients
who suffer from serious diseases, 90% of them cancer patients, whose treatment
is not available in the Gaza Strip. It
has also endangered the lives of dozens of patients who are in critical
conditions and whose transfer to Egyptian hospitals is not possible due to the
long distance. Furthermore, not all medical treatment for their diseases is
available in hospitals in Jerusalem or the West Bank. Two children died as they urgently needed
advanced medical treatment, but the Ministry of Health transferred them to
hospitals that cannot treat their diseases.
Those hospitals apologized for not admitting them, and the Ministry of
Health did not transfer them to Israeli Hospitals. PCHR lawyers immediately intervened with
concerned bodies and with the Director General of Medical Insurance in the West
Bank in an attempt to save the lives of the two children, but they died before
a response was sent to PCHR.
On 04 November 2011, Mohammed Azzam Sahwil, born on 29 September
2002, who was suffering from growth retardation and muscle atrophy, died. His health condition deteriorated on 01
November 2011, so he was admitted into the intensive care unit of al-Nasser
Hospital in Gaza City. The Ministry of
Health was provided with an urgent report to make necessary arrangements for
transfer him abroad. On 25 October 2011,
the child obtained Form No. 1 to receive medical treatment abroad. On 02 November 2011, the child obtained
financial coverage for medical treatment in al-Maqassed Hospital in Jerusalem,
but the hospital refused to admit him because of its inability to treat
him. The Ministry of Health was informed
of this decision, but it did not take necessary action to transfer him to an
advanced hospital that can treat his diseases – in this case an Israeli
hospital. As a result, his health
condition deteriorated further until he died in the intensive care unit of
al-Nasser Hospital in Gaza City.
Less than one month later, the child’s sister died in similar
circumstances. The Ministry of Health
did not learn the lesson from what happened to her brother. On 01 December 2011, Hiba Azzam Sahwil, born
on 03 January 2000, who was also suffering from growth retardation and muscle
atrophy, died. On 27 November 2011, she
obtained Form No. 1 to receive medical treatment abroad. On 27 November 2011, she obtained financial
coverage for treatment in al-Maqassed Hospital in Jerusalem. On 28 November 2011, an appointment was arranged
for her on 13 December 2011. However,
her health condition deteriorated on 29 November 2011 and she was admitted into
the intensive care unit of al-Nasser Hospital.
The Ministry of Health was informed and al-Maqassed Hospital was
contacted to schedule an appointment at an earlier date. However, at approximately 12:30 on 30
November 2011, al-Maqassed Hospital announced it would not admit her because of
its inability to treat her. The Ministry
of health was informed about that and was requested to immediately transfer the
child to Ekhilov Hospital in Israel, but the Ministry refused to transfer
her. At approximately 11:30 on 01
December 2011, a financial coverage was sent to al-Mizan Hospital in the West
Bank, but the child had already died at approximately 11:05.
PCHR is following up the case of a sister of the two dead children,
Ayat Azzam Sahwil, born on 31 October 2003, who suffers from the same
disease. On 22 November 2011, she
obtained Form No. 1 to received medical treatment abroad. On 27 November 2011,
she obtained a financial coverage to receive medical treatment in al-Maqassed
Hospital in Jerusalem. The Ministry of
Health was informed of her sister’s death and was urged to save Ayat’s life by
transferring her immediately to an Israeli Hospital. At approximately 13:30 on 01 December 2011,
she obtained a financial coverage for treatment in Ekhilov Hospital in Israel,
and coordination for her access to the hospital is ongoing.
It is worth noting that PCHR has sent a letter to Mr. Nizar
Masalma, Director General of Medical Insurance in the West Bank, demanding him
to allow 24 patients, who suffer from serious and chronic diseases, to continue
receiving medical treatment in advanced medical facilities. PCHR is still waiting for a response.
In light of the above:
