Palestinian Ministry of Health Hit by Financial Crisis, West Bank Health System Nearly Collapsed
JAKARTA - Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan and the emergency response team of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) held a series of meetings last week to respond to the severe condition of medical equipment and lack of medicines.
The emergency response unit, headed by Palestinian Deputy Health Minister Wael Al-Sheikh, is grappling with a worsening financial crisis in the health sector.
Citing WAFA, Sunday, May 24, the emergency response unit includes the Palestinian Directorate General of Pharmacy, the Directorate General of Financial Affairs, the Directorate General of Central Warehouses, and the Directorate General of Hospitals.
According to an official statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the financial crisis has affected all areas of the health system in the West Bank.
The impact of the crisis is felt across Palestinian Government, private, and non-governmental organization (NGO) hospitals. While commercial suppliers of medicines and medical supplies are experiencing a combination of accumulated receivables and irregular payments.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health warned that hundreds of essential medicines and medical supplies have reached a critical level.
The shortages include life-saving drugs, cancer drugs, and dialysis drugs. The Ministry of Health assessed that this condition poses an immediate threat to health services in Palestine amid constraints and high threats from Israeli military aggression.
The Ministry of Health stated that the crisis team had worked around the clock to monitor the stock of medicines, prepare a comprehensive assessment of urgent needs and risks, and develop emergency solutions to ensure the continuation of medical services.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health also warned that the crisis, exacerbated by reduced working hours and strikes, was exacerbating pressure on the health sector and threatening the continuation of the provision of essential medical care.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health called on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to immediately intervene to ensure the entry of medicines and medical supplies, as well as to prevent the collapse of the health system in the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, targeting the financial resources of the Palestinian people is a collective punishment that violates the fundamental rights to care and life.
The ministry added that the continued withholding of funds from the Palestinian people threatens the lives of residents in need of treatment and patients in hospitals.