Health Work Committees Elected New Board of Directors and Held its General Conference

The general assembly of HWC has elected new board of directors and chairman to replace the previous board of directors, which has completed its duties over the last two years. Farid Murra has been elected as the chairman of the board, while the board members, whom were elected are; Hassan Abed Al-Jawad, Yacoub Ghunaimat, Firas Alawnah, Dima Amin, Jalil Elias, Sana Abu Za’rour, Youssef Rimawi, and Yasser Mansra.

Also, HWC has organized its general conference at CityInn Hotel in Al-Bireh. The conference was held in the presence of representative from the Ministry of Health , NGOs, the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and other political and civil parties. The conference has started with a minute of silence in mourning the martyrs of the Palestinian nation and the health sector. This was followed by the national anthem.

The Ministry of Health was represented by Dr. Naeem Sabra, the general director of the General Directorate for Planning and Health Policy, who has delivered speech in behalf of Dr. Jawad Awad, the minister of health. On his speech, he indicated the importance of the complementary in the work of the public and the private sector including the civil based organizations in serving the Palestinian citizens especially in the current escalation of the Israeli policies imposed upon the Palestinians particularly in Gaza Strip in a way that has never been witnessed before.

“Thank you for HWC for inviting us to participate in its general conference and for the minister of health for delegating me to provide the speech on his behalf. This is because the conference is considered a milestone for focusing on the operational strategy” said Sabar.

He added: “the civil based health organizations have been established since the eighties of the last century; it was providing health services for all the poor and marginalized groups as part of the national resistance against the occupation. Also, he said that it is important to remember the leaders who have established HWC including Dr. Ahmad Maslmani and Dr. Kamal Zeina at the forefront. Then he added that: “the civil based organizations network was found and has operated before the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority; it has established 700 clinics and health centers in addition to a few small hospitals . This is despite the challenges and obstacles, which have been imposed by the Israeli occupation. The work of the civil based organizations has formed a base for the national authority to build upon in cooperation with the civil based organizations including HWC”.

Sabra indicated that the Palestinian health sector is proud of Dunya Center of HWC because it is unique among what is available for the gynecological cancer cases in Palestine. He asked for complementary in the work of the health service providers, who operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. Then, he mentioned the role, which the Ministry of Health has taken, towards Gaza since the beginning of the current Israeli’s invasion: all of the medical disposables and medications of Ministry of Health’s storages in the West Bank have been delivered to Gaza Strip. In addition to that the Ministry of Health has sent three specialized medical teams for treating the injured”. He condemned the occupation for targeting medical teams disregarding all the international laws and conventions that guarantee protection for them.

He expressed his appreciation for HWC as it has adopted a strategic plan to guide its work. Also, he pointed out that the Ministry of Health has adopted similar strategic plan wishing both will be able to provide high quality health services.

Sabra has condemned the occupation measures imposed upon Khalida Jarrar, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and his intention to exile her to Jericho.

In the Palestinian Non-for Profit Governmental Organizations’ speech, Dr. Mohamed Abbushi has considered HWC’s commitment for organizing general conference and eliciting board of directors an indication of the high values of the organization and he concluded that it will lead to the establishment of civilized society. Also, he indicated that this commitment reflects the organization’s respect for collaboration and complimentary in the work hoping success for the conference in continuing the provision of services for the Palestinians.

Abbushi has mentioned the distinctive role of HWC in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Area “C” and in critiquing the internal division and calling for its termination. He added that PNGO has taken part in several sectors including health, water resources, agriculture and others. In addition to taking part in the national strategic planning and exposing the Israeli occupation’s violations. He added: “our nation is facing conspiracy, which has started in Hebron and now it is in Gaza Strip. This implies that all the civil based organizations and the political parties should disregard its personal agenda and unite in confronting the occupation’s invasion and exposing its violations and crimes. Also, it should call for signing the Rome Statue in order to go to the international criminal court and document the Israeli crimes”. Also, he called for providing protection for our nation and implementing the four Geneva Conventions. This is in addition to his request for the leaders to agree upon a strategy for eradicating the occupation.

In the organization’s speech by Yacoub Ghunaimat, chairman of HWC’s board of directors, he addressed the Palestinian cause and the national and international surrounding; he said “ in the world, the human have been facing crisis because of the American imperialist capitalism, which is sponsoring the Israeli’s crimes against the Palestinians. He added that the reality in Palestine is odd because the occupation is denying the Palestinian authority’s role despite its adherence to the negotiations as a strategic choice, which thereon have failed.

In addition to that he said “the Israeli occupation’s war against Gaza Strip, in which internationally condemned weapons have been used, ahs revealed the international bias for the occupation”. Also, he mentioned that there is a decline in the attention, which has been provided for the Palestinian cause by the Arabs in times when the Arab nation is confronting measures aiming at partitioning the Arabic countries directed by western Zionist administration in the absence of political parties with a mature vision.

In regard to the Palestinians action towards the Palestinian cause, Ghunaimat has concluded that the complete bias of the American administration for the Zionist entity in the absence of other balancing parties is increasing the suffering of the Palestinians. And because of the failure to achieve freedom by the Palestinian nation, other rights will remain absent including health rights at the forefront.

He also considered the current situation in the ground including the systemic killing, imprisoning, land division, constructing the separation wall, and expanding of the settlements as major obstacles, which the Palestinians are facing. Then he called for redefining the relation between health and development service providers in a way that serve the nation and strengthen its steadfastness.

He indicated that HWC is adopting a philosophy for serving the nation since its establishment, while currently it has been establishing strategic plan and investing in its staff, which it considers as its main asset. Then he stressed on the importance of rejecting any conditional funding from any agency meanwhile appreciating all the supporters of the organization, who doesn’t impose any conditions upon the organization.

The second session of the conference was dedicated for defining memberships and presenting the administrative, operation and financial reports to the board of directors. Following that a discussion was made about what has been presented in the reports before it was validated.

During the third session, the elections were held; the previous board of directors has resigned in front of the general assembly before appointing the new members. And nominations were made for the chairman and members of the board of directors’ positions. Then the committee supervising the election has announced the wining of 8 nominees as members of the board of directors and Farid Murra as the chairman of the board of directors for the next two years in accordance with the by-law of HWC