The Palestinian Center for Human Rights followed with great concern the dangerous decline in the treatment service provided to cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, represented by the lack of adequate diagnostic services, and the lack of necessary treatments according to the applicable protocols, whether chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
The center feared that this would affect the lives of cancer patients, in light of the weakness of the health system as a result of the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip 14 years ago, which constitutes a real threat to the lives of these patients.
He called on the international community and the World Health Organization to put pressure on Israel to allow the import of all medical supplies and medicines to the Gaza Strip, especially radiotherapy necessary to treat cancer patients.
He also called on the Palestinian Authority to find the necessary solutions to save the lives of cancer patients, whose health conditions require urgent intervention to obtain integrated medical services.
According to the Center’s follow-up, about 8,000 cancer patients in Gaza are suffering severely due to the lack of the necessary treatment for them, in light of the severe restrictions imposed at the border crossings in the Strip, after the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of coordination between the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority and the occupied Israeli authorities, which are the measures that it has taken The Palestinian Authority, since early March and late May 2020, respectively.
These measures have led to an unprecedented decline in the number of patients traveling through the Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing during the last five months, which has negatively affected the health conditions of cancer patients, who do not have a complete and appropriate treatment alternative in Gaza hospitals, and their health conditions require doses. Chemical and therapeutic protocols periodically.
These restrictions coincide with the health institutions in Gaza suffering from a shortage of human cadres of doctors and nurses in the oncology departments in their hospitals, and the shortage of medical devices and equipment, diagnostic devices, medicines, medical consumables, laboratory supplies and devices used in radiation therapy, mainly stemming from the policy of tightening the Israeli blockade and the division procedures. Palestinian internal affairs, spanning more than 14 years.
These restrictions coincide with the exacerbation of the electricity crisis due to the suspension of the work of the power plant due to the Israeli occupation authorities ’ban on supplying the fuel needed to operate it, which represents a threat to stop the treatment service for hundreds of patients, including cancer patients.
The center received dozens of complaints and appeals from cancer patients demanding urgent intervention to ensure that they travel to receive treatment abroad after the sector hospitals that the Ministry of Health contracted with in April 2020 to treat cancer patients were unable to provide them with appropriate treatment services, and were unable to provide medicines, medical supplies and treatment. Radiotherapy to these patients.
According to Ministry of Health sources, hospitals and medical centers in the Gaza Strip are currently suffering from a serious shortage of 45% from the list of essential medicines, 31% of medical consumables, and 65% of laboratory and blood bank supplies.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights is concerned about the deterioration of the health conditions of cancer patients. It calls on the international community and the World Health Organization to exert pressure to allow the import of all medical supplies needed to treat patients in the Gaza Strip, and cancer patients in particular.
He reaffirms the responsibility of the occupying power to provide medical supplies to the residents of the Strip under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. He
calls on the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its obligations to the hospitals that have contracted with it in the Gaza Strip to treat cancer patients, and to supply these hospitals with the medical equipment and items of equipment needed by cancer patients.
It also calls on international humanitarian and health institutions to provide aid to the health system in the Gaza Strip, to save the lives of Gaza patients, especially those with cancer
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