World GREEN YOUR SPRING Care Is Stopped Palestinians cut payments to Israeli hospitals. Dina Kraft Jewish Telegraphic Agency Jerusalem p COME AND SEE OUR WONDERFUL SELECTION OF EMERALD. RINGS THAT WILL BRIGHTEN ANY OUTFIT scailitoT JEWELLERS / GEMOLOGISTS DeIroit's Premier Jeweller Since 1917 3001 West Big Beaver Road Troy. Michigan $OO.SCHIJBOT 248.649.1122 www.schuhot.corn 1485730 A20 March 12 • 2009 ediatric oncologist Michael Weintraub of Hadassah Hospital recently found himself turning away ailing Palestinian children after the Palestinian Authority decided to halt pay- ment for their treatment. Originally citing anger over the war in Gaza and a desire to treat Palestinians in P.A. hospitals, the Palestinian Authority stopped funding treatment for the major- ity of Palestinians in Israeli hospitals on Feb. 1, abruptly cutting off what in some cases is literally a lifeline. "People could die in the next few weeks" if they do not receive proper treat- ment, said Weintraub, director of pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation at Hadassah. "Patients were denied coverage from one day to the next. If you stop cancer therapy for a month or two, the risk of relapse and death increases every day" The hospital stays were among the few humanitarian connections that had managed to survive the divisions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For many years, a significant number of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza have come to Israeli hospitals for medical care, often for sophisticated tests or life-saving treatments not available at Palestinian hospitals, such as bone mar- row transplants or robotic surgery. The decision to drastically reduce the number of Palestinians entering Israel for treatment came from the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry for reasons that appear to be both economic — the expense of medical treatment is consider- able for the Palestinian Authority — and political. But P.A. Health Minister Fathi Abu Moghli said that despite the financial strain of paying for health care in Israel, and other countries like Jordan and Egypt, the decision to reduce the overall number of patients was made as part of a new plan to improve the Palestinian health care system. "We continue referring abroad only patients in real need of medical services not available in Palestine he said in an e-mail. It was the Hamas regime in Gaza that first said it would not send its wounded to Israel for treat- ment in the wake of Palestinians await treatment last month at Hadassah Israel's operation in Hospital's Mount Scopus campus. Gaza. That stance was then adopted by the refers some 1,000 Palestinian children to Palestinian Authority, which is led by the Israel each year for either consultations more moderate Fatah faction, and was or surgery. In cases of cancer, the center extended to include most Palestinians has split hospital fees with the Palestinian seeking care at Israeli hospitals. Authority. Last year, about 28,000 Palestinians Raphi Walden, deputy director of the from the West Bank went to Israel for Sheba Medical Center, said it's perplexing treatment and approximately 14,000 from to see the flow of patients disappear so Gaza, according to the Israel Defense quickly. Forces, which helps coordinate their travel "It's a very grave situation because permits. The patients are referred by people who are in the middle of receiving Palestinian hospitals. treatments that often do not exist in the Another apparent casualty of the new West Bank and Gaza" will receive "a death P.A. policy is the practice of sending sentence" if they lack treatment, he said. Palestinian doctors to train at Israeli Walden is also chairman of Physicians hospitals. Over the years, a strong profes- for Human Rights, which has protested sional network has developed between the new P.A. policy and is trying to Palestinian and Israeli physicians because convince Palestinian and international of the practice, helping ease the process of human rights groups to join its call. referrals. That could fall apart now Every day, Weintraub said, he and his Most of the Palestinians at Hadassah's staff members field calls from Palestinian two hospital campuses in Jerusalem parents anxious about their children's are from the West Bank. On average, well-being. Among them are parents of Hadassah saw 1,650 Palestinian patients children as young as 5 and 6 who are ill per month. In recent weeks, since the P.A. with leukemia. Many Palestinian patients directive was issued, that number has and their relatives are wary of speaking dwindled to less than 10. to the media about the situation, hospital At another major hospital where officials say, fearing it could make it diffi- Palestinian cases are referred, Sheba cult for them to eventually get back to the Medical Center near Tel Aviv, there are no care they need. new Palestinian patients although about Weintraub says he's particularly con- 50 have been at the hospital since before cerned about a baby girl just under a February, a spokesperson said. It was not year old who suffers from a hereditary clear how much longer they would be able immune deficiency. She underwent a to stay without funds to cover their care. complicated, cutting-edge bone marrow Nancy Falchuk, the national president transplant at Hadassah at the age of 6 of Hadassah, said on a visit to Israel that months. It saved her life. something must be done to help facilitate The same procedure would have cost the Palestinians' treatment. between $300,000 and $500,000 in the While Hadassah is hesitant to become United States. In Israel, the fees were involved on a political level, Falchuk said capped at $50,000. she was speaking out "because medicine After the Palestinian Authority ceased should be beyond politics." paying for her treatment this month, she "For 97 years we have talked about was kept by the hospital free of charge for people with heart disease and cancer, two weeks. not Arabs and Jews, and that is what we When it came time to discharge want to continue doing," she said. "It's an the girl, she was provided a supply of unfolding story. The hospital will do what medication, but her parents, who were it can to continue providing services!' referred by the Palestinian Authority to a Palestinians pay the same state-sub- hospital in Nablus, have discovered there sidized rates as do Israeli patients. For is no hospital in the West Bank that can additional help, Hadassah has philan- adequately offer the follow-up care she thropic funds that help cover some extra needs, Weintraub said. costs at their facilities, and the Peres "This child's life is in extreme danger at Center for Peace has a program that the moment',' he said.