‘Israel’ maintains its unfair policy of medical negligence of Palestinian prisoners, says NGO
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and ex-Detainees’ Affairs said today that Israeli occupation authorities have maintained the unfair policy of medical negligence of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention.
The Commission said that the Israeli occupation authorities are deliberately neglecting the medical conditions of many sick prisoners, who are only allowed to get painkillers rather than a genuine medical treatment.
It mentioned the case of Jamal Omar, 49, a Palestinian prisoner in the Israeli prison of Nafha, who is suffering a cancer in the kidneys and liver, in addition to problems in the stomach, guts and nerves, and who has thus far been denied medical care.
Another prisoner, Ma’zouz Besharat, 45, is reportedly suffering acute back pain as a result of torture by Israeli cops during his interrogation. Besharat is also experiencing a chronic headache and middle ear infections that often cause him to lose consciousness, making him in a drastic need of a specialist to diagnose his condition.
A third prisoner, Ibrahim Ghnaimat, 42, is suffering a blockage in the arteries and a weak heart muscle, therefore he is in urgent need of a pacemaker to regulate heartbeats. However, the Commission said, the Rimon Prison administration has been delaying a badly needed pacemaker implantation surgery for him for more than a year.
A fourth prisoner, Husam Abu Hussein, 30, a patient of thalassemia who is held in the Israeli prison of Ofer, has been complaining from liver enlargement, and is in urgent need of special medical follow-up and regular units of blood due to his health condition.
Last Monday, Israeli occupation released Hussein Masalmeh, a 39-year-old Palestinian prisoner who was diagnosed with leukemia and reported to be in critical condition, after serving 20-year sentence and who is believed that he has only a few days to live following serious deterioration of his health.
By the end of January, 4500 Palestinians have been imprisoned in Israeli jails, among them 37 women, 140 children and 45 held in administrative detention.
It also said that there are 11 Palestinian priosners suffering from cancer, and 300 priosners have chronic diseases.
