Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

WHO: Gaza closure compromises right to health

Palestinian patients undergo dialysis in Shifa hospital in Gaza City
(MaanImages/Hatem Omar, File)


Ma’an News Agency | June 14, 2012

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The World Health Organization on Thursday said the closure of Gaza compromises the right to health and called on Israel to lift the blockade.

The health system in Gaza cannot function effectively under Israel’s blockade, which entered its sixth year on Thursday, a WHO report said.

During Israel’s 3-week offensive on the Gaza Strip in December 2008, 15 out of 27 hospitals were damaged as well as 43 clinics.

The Erez checkpoint, the main humanitarian access route for the critically ill, closes daily at 2:30 p.m. and all weekend. Outside opening hours, access requires lengthy coordination and can delay emergency treatment by at least two hours.

Gaza has run out of 42 percent of essential medicines, affecting oncology treatment, surgeries and dialysis. Israel does not allow the Health Ministry in Gaza to send medical equipment for repair.

Drug and fuel shortages have increased the need for referrals outside Gaza, funded by the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

“The 5 most frequent reasons for referrals are for cardiovascular, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, or neurosurgery treatment,” WHO says.

Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem are the main specialized centers, but Israel has denied permits to nearly 12,000 patients, or their requests were delayed past their hospital appointment date.

“In the past two years, 618 patients were called for interrogation by Israeli security after applying for a permit,” WHO says.

The main Palestinian teaching hospitals are in East Jerusalem, but medics from Gaza are often denied permits to attend training courses.



Photography

Ministery declares state of emergency – Photography
Gaza Health Care in Crisis – January 2012 – Photography



Articles 55 and 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly establish that Israel, as the occupying power, not only has a duty to ensure medical supplies reach hospitals in the OPT, but to ensure and maintain the services of the hospitals too. As High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, other states not only have a moral duty but also a legal obligation to ensure Israel abides by its commitments to the protected population of the OPT.

UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, As a States Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel is obliged under Article 24 of the treaty to recognise the right of every child under its effective jurisdiction “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services”.


Update as per June 3, 2012


note occpal | June 3, 2012 | At this moment 204 types of medication and 218 types of medical consumables are depleted completely. 200 others are on their way to depletion. Including zero stock of Thalassamia and Cancer medications are not available.

The fuel crisis prevents normal operation of nurseries, ICU & heart units and the emergency generators will encounter problems to face normal surgery schedules. Due to blackouts of power, also sewerage, water pumps and all operating on power shuts down which poses extra health risks which is unacceptable.

The international community though, is not pressuring Israel though about it’s killing by proxy policies which causes 1.7 million people in Gaza now to be effectively in a state of emergency and severe deprivation.


More Resources or related information:




Medical care by asked/forced collaboration



Torture, Healthcare or neglect of healthcare in Prisons


Video


SHOCKING REPORT ABOUT EFFECTS FOR HEALTH BY POLICIES & DISCRIMINATION OF MEDICAL CARE & ACCESS TO CARE:


While in the horrible holocaust, 1 in 6, so 1 million people died of the Nazi but exactly similar deliberate deprivation, Israel is doing exactly the same to Palestinians. Research (see link below) showed the annual deathrate by violent & passive aggression is about 5000 deaths a year. Called Avoidable mortality or Excess Death.


The Palestinian Genocide – The fact which are being silenced | Research


Special Topics


In pictures

Children of Palestine – in photos (Click to see the full album)


More pictures in the Gallery Images | الصور

How many more dead corpses of Palestinians and their children does the international community need to see in order to act?
How many more cruelties and violations of Human Rights, Regulations and International Law will be needed?
How long so the world intervenes in this ongoing warcrime and it will be stopped once and for all?

For the sake of children and ill people in Palestine, share this post as wide as you can and keep sharing it. Health is no choice for many, right to medical care is a Human Right. Infringement of such is a passive form of aggression which policies Israel deliberately deploys with the intention to ethnic cleanse.