Dr. Elihu D. Richter exhaustively studied the issue of Israeli medical permits for Palestinians to obtain treatment in Israel.
4,932 Palestinians granted medical permits for treatment in Israel in 2006.
90.2% Proportion of medical entry requests granted in 2006.
7,176 Palestinians granted medical permits for treatment in Israel in 2007.
81.5 % Proportion of medical entry requests granted in 2007.
45 % Increase in overall number of Gazans obtaining medical treatment
8,796 Palestinians granted medical permits for treatment in Israel in the first six months of 2008.
66 % Proportion of medical entry requests granted in the first six months of 2008.
20 Incidents where Palestinians used medical missions to attempt terror attacks.
3 “Patients” who admitted purchasing forged medical referrals to carry out terror attacks.
11 “Patients” who admitted purchasing forged medical referrals to visit relatives in Israel.
200 Approximate number of rockets and mortars fired since the disengagement at the Erez crossing — a “medical sanctuary” where Palestinian patients are transferred to Israel.
0 Statements from the World Health Organization or Physicians for Human Rights condemning attacks on the Erez crossing.
170 Palestinians killed in Hamas-Fatah violence in July, 2007 alone.
123,000 Approximate number of Palestinians treated in Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospitals annually.
$3 million Annual subsidy provided by the Hadassah Medical Organization to treat Palestinians.
32 Cases of deaths allegedly following denial of entry permits. Dr. Richter took a closer look at the 32 deaths and found the following:
10 Did not receive medical permits for security reasons.
3 Were denied permits to enter Egypt by Egyptian authorities at the Rafah crossing.
5 Refusals attributed to lack of available beds.
1 Patient who Physicians for Human Rights claimed died, turned up alive in Gaza.
1 Patient who died in Gaza after receiving treatment in Israel.
2 Patients with advanced cancer who would not have been saved anyway.
Featured image CC BY flickr/Gigi Ibrahim
