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Monthly Report: Health Access - Barriers for patients in the occupied Palestinian territory, March 2019

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oPt
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WHO
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3,092 referrals issued to Gaza patients to access health facilities outside the Palestinian

65% of Gaza patient permit applications to Israeli authorities for exit via Erez approved

53% Gaza patient companions

85% of West Bank patient permit applications to Israeli authorities approved

80% West Bank patient companions

1 Gaza patients called for security interview, delayed

IN FOCUS

Attacks on health care in the occupied Palestinian territory

Part 1 Referrals

March Referrals by the Ministry of Health

In March, the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) approved 3,092 referrals for Gaza patients to nonMinistry of Health facilities, with an estimated cost of 11.5 million NIS. This is higher than the average monthly number of referrals for Gaza patients in 2018, which was 2,579 referrals per month. 65% of referrals required access through Erez crossing to reach hospitals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, while 8% required access through Rafah terminal to access health care in Egypt.

Towards the end of March, the MoH stopped referrals to Israeli hospitals. Some medical interventions, such as bone marrow transplant is not available even in specialized centres in either East Jerusalem or the West Bank. Chart 1 shows the number of referral documents issued to patients in Gaza from September 2017 to March 2019