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Monthly Report: Health Access for Referral Patients from the Gaza Strip, March 2017

Countries
oPt
+ 1 more
Sources
WHO
Publication date
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Summary: March 2017

Difficult access through Gaza exits

  • Young mother of two children dies after being delayed a permit repeatedly, then refused passage at Erez (See p. 4.)

  • More than 45% of patients were denied/delayed permits: Of 2,626 patient applications for a permit to exit Gaza through Erez checkpoint for hospital appointments in March, 1,440 (55%) were approved; 96 patients (4%) were denied permits while 1,090 (42%) received no response including 242 children aged 18 years or younger and 120 people over 60 years (Palestinian District Liaison office in Gaza).

  • 117 patients were denied access by the de facto authoritiy in late March and early April (See p. 5.)

  • 55% of patients’ companions were denied/delayed permits: The approval rate for permit applications of patients’ companions was 46%; 4% of the companions were denied permits and the remaining 50% were still pending by the patients’ scheduled hospital dates.

  • Security interrogations for patients: 29 patients (23 males; 6 females), including a man over 60, were requested by the General Security Services for interviews at Erez during March. Six were approved permits.

Limited access through Rafah

  • Limited access to Egypt: According to Palestinian officials at Rafah terminal, the Rafah border terminal was open in both directions for three days only in March allowing 430 patients to travel for health reasons to Egypt.