Health Minister Warns of the Collapse of the Health System in Palestine

SadaNews - Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan warned of the complete collapse of the Palestinian health system under catastrophic conditions that no healthcare system in the world could withstand.

This came during his speech at the opening of a special international seminar held in Geneva on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly, titled "Health of Palestinians and Palestinian Refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Ongoing Challenges and Continuous Care," with the participation of the Palestinian delegation from the Palestinian embassy in Geneva and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and jointly organized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Health Organization, The Lancet medical journal, and the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations.

Abu Ramadan stated that what we are witnessing today is not just a humanitarian crisis or a health disaster, but an existential crisis for humanity itself, affecting the survival of the Palestinian people, protecting human dignity, and defending international law.

He presented horrifying details of the unprecedented catastrophe sweeping Gaza, pointing to the systematic destruction of hospitals, clinics, ambulances, laboratories, and pharmacies.

He highlighted harsh scenes, including children undergoing amputations without anesthesia, pregnant women forced to give birth without adequate medical care, and cancer and chronic disease patients being deprived of life-saving treatments, amidst a sharp rise in malnutrition rates among children and a rapid spread of infectious diseases due to overcrowding and the destruction of sanitation systems.

The Health Minister emphasized that the crisis extends to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where refugee camps are subjected to daily attacks and destruction, leading to the forced displacement of tens of thousands from the northern West Bank.

He affirmed the indispensable role of UNRWA as a lifeline for millions of refugees, making an urgent appeal to the international community to provide sustainable financial support for the health sector and UNRWA, demanding that the agency immediately resume its activities in clinics in the northern West Bank refugee camps and reopen all sections of Qalqilya Hospital, particularly the obstetrics and internal medicine departments.

The seminar witnessed an international gathering to review the efforts made to ensure the continuity of healthcare, including presentations and interventions from representatives of international organizations, health program leaders in UNRWA in Gaza and the West Bank, and medical students' representatives abroad.

The Health Minister concluded his message by stressing the need for immediate protection for healthcare personnel and hospitals, emphasizing the necessity of not politicizing humanitarian aid in any way, sending a message to the world that history will judge the international community's response to this tragedy, and affirming that our Palestinian people have the right to life, dignity, health, and freedom like any other people in the world.