World Medical Association Welcomes Israeli Proposal For A Field Hospital In Gaza But In A Combat Free Zone

Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 17 Jan 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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The World Medical Association welcomes the willingness of the Israeli Government to allow the installation of a medical facility within the Gaza strip and to keep it combat free, an idea that had been proposed by the Israeli Medical Association. Permission for such a facility on the border of the Gaza strip was given by the Israeli government earlier this week.

'However, it will be difficult to bring patients there as fighting is still going on', said Dr. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General of the Association, 'and Hamas has been reported not to allow patients to seek treatment in Israel.

'Although this is a very difficult challenge, we are asking all humanitarian organizations capable of running such a facility, as well as international governmental organizations, to examine this offer in order to have a safe ground for treating severely ill and wounded Palestinians within Gaza. We demand that both sides let the physicians, nurses and other health personnel do their work without bringing them into danger and to give free passage to the health professionals and their patients'.

The WMA, representing millions of physicians around the world, repeats its plea for a ceasefire in order to end the suffering of people on both sides.

The World Medical Association is the independent confederation of national medical associations from more than 90 countries and represents more than eight million physicians. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education and health-related human rights for all people. http://www.wma.net