Palestinian MOH appeals for free access to health services – WHO press release

Palestinian MOH appeals the International Community

to allow free access to health services

Palestinian Ministry of Health appeals to the international community, the UN agencies, the WHO, the ICRC, the Arab health ministers' council and human rights organizations to pressure the Israeli government to stop destruction of health foundations in Palestine, to give ambulances and medical staff the right to free movement, to evacuate the injured and transport patients to hospitals.

The Ministry of Health declared ceasing all health programs in Nablus like vaccinations, women's health, child health, environment health and preventive medicine, due to the inability to deliver medicines to hospitals and health centers, the thing that will ultimately result in the spread of epidemics.

Dr. Munzer Sharif, the Deputy Minister of Health, has warned of the deteriorating health conditions in Nablus governorate that has been undergoing the Israeli curfews and the strict siege since three months, in which movement turned to be impossible, adding that medical staff and the personnel of health centers and hospitals are prevented of reaching their work places, the thing that caused death to a lot of chronic diseases patients and epidemics to prevail.

In the mean while, Israeli soldiers occupied the buildings of the Ministry of Health in Nablus, where they destroyed the outside gate, a part of the new building, funded by the World Bank, in addition to the outside fence of the buildings. Files of the Ministry and those related to patients were thrown out of the fence; offices of the Ministry including the office of the Deputy Minister were completely damaged.