Patient Dies In Gaza After Being Denied Exit For Treatment

Wednesday July 27, 2011 09:37 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that a 33-year-old patient died on Sunday in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli Authorities denied him permit to be moved into the West Bank for urgent medical treatment.

File - Gaza Patient

The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reported that Raed Azzam Al Moghari, from Al Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza, had a chronic heart disease and required urgent treatment out of the Gaza Strip as the Israeli siege left hospitals in Gaza out of basic supplies.

The Palestinian District Coordination Office had repeatedly contacted its Israeli counterpart, and informed the Israeli side that the case of Al Moghari is urgent, and that he needed immediate medical attention, but the request was denied.

The patient’s health condition had severely deteriorated on Sunday, and he was moved to the operations room, but he died under surgery.

The Al Mezan Center stated that two patients died in the Gaza Strip since the
beginning of this year after being denied medical treatment elsewhere. Hundreds of patients are currently in urgent need for further attention, but Israel is still refraining from granting them exit permits.

The Center voiced an appeal to the International Community and Human Rights groups to intervene and end the illegal Israeli siege on Gaza, as the siege is one of the worst forms of collective punishment that threatens the lives of 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

It called on the United Nations to highlight the issue, and expose the ongoing Israeli violations against the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Over 300 patients have died since the siege began due to a lack of essential medical equipment, and having been denied exit passes by the Israeli government to receive treatment outside of Gaza.

gaza strip | gaza siege | news report