- Two recent reports discuss it, a July Physicians for
Human Rights - Israel (PHR-IL) one titled, "A Situation Report on
Obstacles Facing Gaza Residents in Need of Medical Treatment," and
a June one titled, "Who Gets to Go," jointly prepared by PHR-IL,
the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Adalah Legal Center for Arab
Minority Rights in Israel. All cite Israeli medical ethics and international
law violations by discriminating on the basis of need, denying adequate
treatment to seriously ill Gazans by:
-
- -- preventing the restoration and development of the
Strip's healthcare system; and
-
- -- restricting travel to the West Bank, East Jerusalem,
Israel, or neighboring countries for treatment.
-
- In its July report, PHR-IL said Gaza's healthcare system
is getting progressively worse "due to a lack of medical expertise,
medicine(s) and medical equipment," the ICRC recently saying it's
"at an all time low."
-
- In June, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported
that Israel blocked delivery of essential equipment, including a CT scanner,
defibrillators and monitors. In addition, the Palestinian Health Ministry
said Israel confiscated seven oxygen machines, donated by a Norwegian development
agency, and blocked x-ray machine deliveries, claiming they were dual-use,
meaning possibly for military purposes.
-
- As a result, critical shortages of most everything exist,
including vital medicines, essential equipment, and other supplies expected
to run out this summer, harming chronic disease sufferers the most, hampered
by draconian impediments for permission to leave Gaza for treatment - what
PHR-IL calls "an inexcusable breach of medical ethics" based
on political, not medical considerations, most non-life threatening cases
denied, including ones PHR-IL calls urgent, such as for:
-
- "Paraplegia; retinal detachement; SLE (Lupus); foreign
body in vitreous; subluxated lens; chronic severe febrile anemia; fever(s)
of unknown origin (FUO); traumatic macular hole; psychomotor retardation;
anemia; suspected abdominal abnormal vascular pressure; suspected chronic
intestinal disease; psedoarthrosis (non-union of fractured bones) - arms,
hand; infected plate - hip; deformation of cornea; recurrent dislocation
of shoulder; lumbar discopathy; opacity of vitreous; (and) malformation
of urinary tract."
-
- Numerous other non-urgent/non-life-threatening ones are
also denied, some chronic, severe, painful and/or disabling, badly in need
of treatment, including a 24 year old Gaza resident shot in the arm in
October 2007, unable to use his hand because of atrophied muscle tissue
around the wound area.
-
- As a result, he suffers severe pain, orthopedic surgeon,
Dr. Yosef Leitner, saying a tendon transfer is the only hope to restore
proper hand functioning, Gaza's Al Shifaa Hospital (the Strip's largest
and most advanced) with neither the means or staff to perform it.
-
- In August 2009, an exit request was submitted to receive
treatment in East Jerusalem's Al Makassed Hospital. Initially denied, it
was appealed and again denied - unprincipled, unethical, illegal, and common
practice against Gazans under siege, PHR-IL saying:
-
- "....all patients are entitled to the best available
medical treatment, regardless of the urgency....or the severity of their
clinical state," legitimate distinctions only permissible in cases
of limited resources (such as after a natural disaster), even then for
the shortest time possible to restore proper care to everyone in need.
-
- Under international law, denying medical care is illegal,
Fourth Geneva's Article 3 saying all non-combatants and those having laid
down their arms "shall in all circumstances be treated humanely"
with no distinctions for any reasons.
-
- Article 16 states:
-
- "The wounded and sick, as well as the infirm, and
expectant mothers, shall be the object of particular protection and respect."
-
- The UN's Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment prohibits mistreatment in
any form (including denying medical treatment), as do the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Constitution of the International
Criminal Court (the Rome Statute), and civilized countries globally, Israel
and America not among them.
-
- An Israeli Supreme Court decision provides an example,
approving restrictions to exit Gaza for treatment, with narrow exceptions,
ignored by government officials because the ruling left final authority
in their hands, an easy cop-out to permit cruel and unusual punishment
to continue, what PHR-IL calls "routine, permanent policy,"
unethical, immoral, illegal, and deplorable.
-
- Medical training outside Gaza is also denied, Fatah in
charge of Ramallah's Health Ministry, collaborating with Israel against
its own people, blocking training and treatment of many, persecuting and
abusing many more, acting as Israel's enforcer, its duplicitous, self-serving
agenda.
-
- In addition, Israel prohibits its own or foreign doctors
entering Gaza to provide treatment or professional training. Its authorities
rejected two recent requests for a Ramallah Musallam Center team to come,
to perform eye surgery and cornea transplants, most patients in need rejected
or subjected to long delays.
-
- For the past year, PHR-IL medical delegations were denied
entry to Gaza, ones operating in 2008 as part of its Mobile Clinic, providing
treatment, surgeries, medications, training, counseling, and referring
patients for follow-up treatment in Israeli hospitals.
-
- Repressive Security Services
-
- In 2009, Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service,
interrogated over 600 of the thousands of Gazans applying for treatment
exit permission. Usually, patients are summoned "after their hospital
appointment date(s) passed," causing them to lose out and have to
reschedule. In addition, many face "threats and extortion....health
(for) ransom," collaborate or be denied, a choice most won't accept.
-
- In other cases, Shin Bet summons patients to Erez Crossing
(on the pretext of permission to leave), arresting and detaining them instead
- a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) worker as well, part of a paramedic/ambulance
driver team en route to a Ramallah training course, arrested and imprisoned
in Israel.
-
- In January 2010, Adalah complained officially to Israel's
Attorney General, the Prime Minister's office saying:
-
- "The State of Israel reserves the right to detain
elements who seek medical treatments in Israel following information that
they are terror activists or that their entry to Israel might pose a security
risk," common Israeli boilerplate - disingenuous, duplicitous, and
dishonest justification for repressive state policy, including against
seriously ill patients and medical workers providing care.
-
- Israeli also denies quality care outside Gaza and the
West Bank, even in East Jerusalem where treatment is better. In some cases,
follow-up permission is denied (including for rehabilitation) for those
initially allowed in, leaving them in limbo, unable to get what they need.
-
- Dr. Danny Rozin, an internal medicine expert at Israel's
Sheba Medical Center, said the following:
-
- "It is important to understand that in many cases
providing a complete, effective treatment requires more than a one-time
appointment and many patients need follow-up, post-surgery checks, or an
additional medical or rehabilitative treatment....The lack of continuity
might bring about a failure of treatment in part or in full and resources
allocated to treat patients might go down the drain. Sometimes there is
also a real danger that the patient will suffer functional damage or even
lose his life....Preventing the continuity of treatment harms patients
and is inconsistent with the many efforts made by medical staff to provide
full and optimal care."
-
- It also violates international law and medical ethics,
what Israeli authorities disdain and spurn. PHR-IL says it's illogical
and inconsistent that a patient given permission "suddenly becomes
a security threat" and is denied. It reinforces the notion that politics
and repressive policy are at issue, not security, a duplicitous red herring.
-
- Israel further denies permission for West Bank treatment,
saying patients might stay with their families - their legal right, unrelated
to security, entirely state-sanctioned repression, part of enforcing Gaza's
siege.
-
- Another part involves confiscating patients' belongings
on returning home after treatment, forced on reentry to leave behind whatever
they bought or were given, including medical equipment, clothing, toys
and other non-threatening items - another way to harass and intimidate.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- As a result of Israel's post-January 2006 embargo, its
siege since June 2007, Cast Lead, regular incursions, and its longstanding
collective punishment policy, Gaza's healthcare system is "at an all
time low." Many of the Strip's sick and injured lack proper care,
or enough, in violation of medical ethics and international law explicitly
prohibiting these practices.
-
- "As an occupying power, (Israel bears full) responsibility
for the health of Gaza's residents," including to treatment outside
the Strip, unconditionally without constraints, authorities denying it
as collective punishment - prohibited under international law, what, throughout
its history, Israel disdainfully spurned.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com
and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays
at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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