Ref: 52/2020
Date: 10 December 2020
In celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, PCHR held a graduation ceremony on Thursday, 10 December 2020, to honor 200 medical personnel working in hospitals and primary health care centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and civil society organizations (CSOs) from Central Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah governorates, southern Gaza Strip, as well as the Faculty of Medicine students at al-Azhar and Islamic Universities in Gaza City.
Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in the Gaza Strip, and in an attempt to preserve the safety of the 200 trainees, the graduation ceremony was attended by few representatives of twenty-two hospitals and healthcare centers whose members participated in the training courses held this year. Covid-19 preventive measures and social distancing were maintained during the ceremony.
This ceremony concluded PCHR’s 2nd year of training courses within its project: “Promote, Respect, and Fulfill the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health in the Gaza Strip” funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS). The project will be continued until the end of 2021.
Raji Sourani, PCHR’s director, opened the ceremony and welcomed the attendees, directors and representatives of medical institutions and partners. He praised their role as the first line of defense in the combat of the Covid-19 pandemic, which gravely affected healthcare providers as many have been infected and others, unfortunately, were lost in the battle. Sourani paid respect to the late Dr. Mohammed Muneer Nabhan, who participated in PCHR’s training courses and had passed away due to Covid. Sourani also addressed the causes of the deteriorating economic and social conditions, mainly the Israeli-imposed closure and the repercussions of the Palestinian internal division. Due to this, the Gaza Strip population, including patients, were deprived of their freedom of movement to access treatment, and other rights guaranteed in international conventions. Sourani also emphasized the significant role of medical personnel in disseminating and promoting the right to health, urging them to apply this culture in their lives to promote these ethics and improve health services in the Gaza Strip in a manner that respects the sacrifices of the Palestinian people. Sourani also praised the EU role and its ongoing and historic support for the health sector in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) through the establishment of hospitals, healthcare centers and development projects.
For her part, Sara Dominoni, Programme Manager Governance, Youth and Human Rights at the Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank & Gaza Strip, UNRWA), commended the role of PCHR and its partners, and their achievements during the Covid-19 pandemic, as they exerted all efforts to achieve the goals of the project and took a resourceful and proactive approach to overcome the obstacles brough on by the pandemic. Dominoni added that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a global impact on human rights, in particular freedom of movement, due to the restrictions imposed due to lockdown, and the consequences of this new reality on the right to health and patients’ access to treatment. She appreciated the role of PCHR and its partners in holding this ceremony, stressing the commitment of the European Union and its unwavering support for the Gaza Strip and human rights. She also called on PCHR and its partners to continue their work in order to disseminate the culture of human rights, including the right to health.
Dr. Ayed Yaghi, Director General of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in the Gaza Strip, said that it was no coincidence that this ceremony was held on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He thanked medical personnel working in the Gaza Strip for their vital and effective role in combating the coronavirus, which infected more than 1,000 medical personnel. He expressed his hopes that the training courses graduates would be proactive defenders of human rights and the right to health.
Hamdi Shaqqura, PCHR’s Deputy Director for Programs Affairs, highlighted that the 3-year project aims at improving access to healthcare services, legal counseling and legal assistance for Palestinian patients; to mainstream the international human rights and humanitarian law, particularly the right to health, by building the capacities of healthcare providers; and to promote improved monitoring, documenting and reporting of violations of the right to health. It should be noted that this project includes 24 training course that target 600 medical personnel and right to health activists in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Sofia Zo’rob, spokesperson on behalf of graduating trainees, expressed her gratitude for PCHR’s pioneering role in disseminating the culture of human rights, adding that “PCHR has accumulated a unique experience and deep knowledge through its long history in disseminating the culture of human rights across the Gaza Strip.” Dr. Zo’rob commended PCHR’s work on promoting human rights and the right to health through active engagement with all stakeholders to improve the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip.
At the end of the ceremony, PCHR presented 22 honorary shields to participating organizations and healthcare unions in appreciation of their contribution to the success of the training courses, and all trainees received certificates.
