September 2012
Summary
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No Ministry of Health referrals to Jordan
During September there were no MoH financed referrals to Jordan, due to the Palestinian Authority financial crisis. Thirteen patients applied for permits to travel to Jordan to obtain care at their own expense. Of the 1,056 MoH referrals, 398 (38%) referrals were to hospitals in East Jerusalem, 333 referrals (32%) were to Egypt, 181 (17%) were to Israel, and 111 (11%) referrals were to WB hospitals. For the second consecutive month, the number of referrals inside Gaza to non-MoH facilities was low, only 33 (3%) (Table 1). According to the Gaza RAD data for September, 45% of referrals were for male patients and 55% were for female patients.
Patient applications for Israeli-issued permits to cross Erez
In September 2012, 705 applications were submitted to the Israeli District Liaison Office (DCL) for permits for patients to cross Erez to access hospitals in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, in Israel or Jordan compared with 585 in August. 89% were MoH referrals (see Table 2 and 3).
In September, 92% (647 patients) were approved permits. However, 2.3% (16 patients; seven females and nine males) were denied permits to cross Erez checkpoint. The patients were seeking treatment for orthopedics (6), ophthalmology (4), neurosurgery (2) and gynecology, nuclear medicine, nephrology and neurology (1 each). Of the 16 denied patients, 9 patients had appointments at Makassed hospital in East Jerusalem, 4 in Ramallah and 3 in other areas of the West Bank. 6% (42 patients), including 12 children, received no answer to their applications and missed their hospital appointment date. Of the delayed patients 6 waited more than 2 weeks for their application to be studied, 3 waited more than 1 month.
During September, 9 urgent cases were transferred through Erez crossing during off duty hours (6 males; 3 females). Of these, 5 cases were transferred to Israeli hospitals, 2 to St. Joseph hospital in East Jerusalem and 2 to the West Bank.
The Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs registered 592 patients and 582 companions travelling through Erez checkpoint towards Israel during September. 49 patients were transferred through Erez by ambulances. Since Palestinian ambulances are not permitted to leave Gaza, patients must be transferred from a Palestinian ambulance, and carried on a stretcher to an Israeli ambulance at Erez crossing 200 meters away (see Table 4).
According to the Emergency Medical Services of MoH in Gaza, their office coordinated the travel of 789 people to Egypt. 69 patients were transferred by ambulances with 97 companions. 623 were patients and their companions who travelled through Rafah terminal as regular passengers.
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Detention of a patient’s companion Khalil Jibril Annajar, 44 years old, was arrested at Erez checkpoint as he was traveling to accompany his 69-year-old brother, Awni, who had undergone knee replacement surgery at Makassed hospital. According to District Liaison office in Gaza, Khalil applied to the DLO on September 23 in order to travel to Jerusalem on September 27, 2012. The Israeli DLO responded on September 26 that his application was being ‘under study.’ Later Khalil was informed that he obtained a permit to travel on October 3, 2012. He traveled to Erez crossing and was detained while undergoing the regular security procedures for pedestrians. Khalil was permitted to call his son to inform the family that he was detained. He was transferred to Ashkelon prison and later to Beer Sheva prison. According to the family, as of October 22 Khalil remained imprisoned. |
Document Sources: World Health Organization (WHO)
Subject: Access and movement, Assistance, Closures/Curfews/Blockades, Gaza Strip, Health, Humanitarian relief
Publication Date: 30/09/2012