Recommendations of “Right to Health” Seminar: Right to access health services, facilities and supplies

On the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Humans Rights and in alignment of the HWC vision and mission towards the right to health, the organization held a seminar on the right to access health services, facilities and supplies. The seminar resulted with the following recommendations and conclusions:

Working towards adjusting the Palestinian Public Health Law with other regulations and legislations related to international human rights conventions that Palestine joined.
Amending the Public Health Law as to include the necessary legal guarantees for citizens to receive their right to access health services and supplies.
To develop a comprehensive national health insurance system, as well as comprehensive services that retain the values of social justice. Increase the budget of the health sector within the general Palestinian Authority budget, and distribute it fairly within the different programs as well as to allocate a specific amount for medication and medical supplies.
Taking the proper and immediate actions to enable citizens to access health services especially in villages, remote areas and area C, by opening clinics and permeant health centers.
Activation of accountability procedures by the Ministry of Health through a complaint system as well as serious investigations for raised health right violations.
Pressuring the occupying state via the international community is necessary to stop the human rights violations and discriminatory actions against the Palestinian people. In particular, pressure should be placed to end the restrictions placed on citizens in Gaza and in Area C, to ensure their accessibility to health services.
Work towards enabling health services that require international transfers to be accessed locally. This enables better health access as well as saving large amounts of money towards the Ministry of Health budget.
Strengthening a true partnership between health services providers and the Ministry of Health, and provide necessary assistance.
Conducting surveys regarding the accessibility to health by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistic.