PMRS calls on the freedom of movement to access health care in Gaza

Ramallah, 02-08-08. During the past 24 hours, five patients in Gaza have died due to being denied access to leave Gaza for medical treatment.

This brings the number of victims to 225 people since the beginning of the siege in Gaza in 2006.

Amongst the five victims, a three-month old baby died after he was prevented to travel across the Beit Hanoun crossing. 4 other people died due to the lack of freedom of movement within the Gaza strip or from being prevented to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society calls on the Israeli occupation forces to end the siege on Gaza and facilitate the freedom of movement and access to medical care.

Although a ceasefire was agreed upon on June the 19th, there has been no significant improvement in the humanitarian situation.

Since 2006, 1.5 million of Gazan citizens are facing a serious humanitarian crisis, when the western donors cut their financial help to the people. Since 2006, PMRS has intensified its emergency activities in the Gaza Strip in response to the overwhelming need for primary and emergency healthcare services.

Prolonged border closures and the fuel and electricity cuts are having a direct and very negative effect on primary, emergency and specialised healthcare services. Stocks of medicines are depleted or exhausted, fragile equipment needs repairs and spare parts, and electricity cuts prevent the reliable operation of life-saving equipment (incubators, dialysis machines, etc).

Many specialised and life-saving medical treatments are unavailable in the Strip. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer patients, paediatric surgery and neurosurgery are only available in Israel and abroad.

Without food, access to medicine, health care, policies of closures, shortage and restrictions of movement -as practiced strongly since 2006- Gaza’s population is the victim of Israeli collective punishment, forbidden by both humanitarian and human rights law standards.

Access to quality health infrastructures is a universal right recognized by every standard of law. The PMRS has dedicated its work to improve the physical, mental and social well being of all Palestinians -both from Gaza and The West Bank- despite occupation policies and attempts by the Israeli government to destroy the Palestinian health infrastructures.