Nablus, 07-01-06: An Independent Palestine press conference held outside the National Hospital in Nablus City on Saturday addressed the inadequate health situation in Palestine. The conference was led by Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, head of Independent Palestine, and other members of the coalition, including Dr. Allam Jarrar, Mr. Samer Anabtawi, Mr. Fuad Dawabsheh, Mr. Sliman Dweikat, and Mr. Mohammad A-Taher.
Spending Cuts
The candidates toured the National Hospital building and met with hospital directors. They witnessed first-hand the poor state of the public health system and the limited resources available to health workers in Palestine.
Dr. Barghouthi pointed to ongoing strikes by health workers at hospitals and clinics throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip as symptomatic of the lack of importance attributed to the public health sector by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
He criticized PA cuts to the health budget, which have seen public health spending drop from 9.5 percent of the overall PA budget to 5.5 percent. He pointed out that such imbalances were the result of a national budget that had been designed without taking into account the real needs of the Palestinian people. This is well reflected by the gap in spending between health and agriculture (5.5 percent and 0.8 percent respectively), and security, which reaches a massive 27 percent of the total budget.
Dr. Barghouthi emphasized the irony of this polarization of spending by placing it in the context of the increasingly dire internal security situation in Palestine and the total lack of security for ordinary Palestinians. He also added that the vast majority of security violations are carried out by the security forces themselves.
He cited upcoming Legislative elections as the opportunity for Palestinians to effect a sea change in government policies, such as health, towards a system that provides services on the basis of need and merit, and not on the basis of political patronage.
Independent Palestine & Health
Dr. Barghouthi also acknowledged the work of civil society organizations that has proved critical in filling the gap in services left by the Palestinian Authority, despite the limited resources as their disposal.
He stated that, through its close ties with civil society organizations, Independent Palestine had helped construct 85 clinics throughout the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, which provided 1.4 million people in 495 communities with essential primary healthcare services in 2005 alone.
It also helped provide first aid training to 36,000 people last year, equipping them with skills that have proved critical in helping save the lives of scores of Palestinians injured in during Israeli invasions.
Dr. Allam Jarrar added that through its partnerships with civil society health organizations Independent Palestine is working towards ensuring the rights of disabled persons, contributing to the expansion of a community-based rehabilitation program that provides treatment for over 12,000 disabled people in their homes.
Referrals
The press conference was also attended by the families of two children from Nablus and the Askar Refugee Camp respectively, for whom Independent Palestine had facilitated live-saving surgery overseas due to the lack of specialized services in Palestinian hospitals.
Ahmed Sha’ar underwent heart surgery in Italy, while Mohammad Idris is currently in Italy for an operation on his liver, a procedure that costs between US$ 200-250,000.
Ahmed Sh’ar’s father thanked Dr. Barghouthi for the key role he had played in making Ahmed’s operation possible and in overcoming the financial obstacles the family faced in seeking treatment for Ahmed. Ahmed himself also thanked Dr. Barghouthi for helping save his life.
Mohammad Idris’s father also stated that his family had been facing dire financial difficulties due to the costs involved in Mohammad’s treatment, and expressed his gratitude to Dr. Barghouthi for helping save his son’s life.
Tour
Dr. Barghouthi preceded the press conference with a tour of the Old City, in which he met with business people and shoppers and heard of the problems they continue to face due to the massive economic decline brought about by Israeli-imposed closures and curfews in the city.
The campaign ended with a discussion with local representatives in Rafat village in the Salfit district where large tracts of land have been confiscated to build the Wall, and which is surrounded by Israeli settlements.