Palestinian doctors escalate protests against PA

The Palestinian Doctors’ Syndicate agreed on Monday to escalate its protests in response to the Palestinian Authority distancing itself from agreements signed with the representative body, Al-Ayyam has reported. The PA, said the organisation, is “procrastinating” over its pledges made to the doctors, and “disregarding” their rights.

Following a meeting in its office in the West Bank city of Al-Beireh, the syndicate announced that all doctors at director-general, senior, and junior levels in all departments should not go to work until further notice. Those involved directly in life-saving and emergency departments are exempt from this action.

The syndicate’s members are also being told not to enter the Ministry of Health offices in Nablus and Ramallah until further notice, nor attend any programmes or workshops organised by the PA or the ministry.

The protest actions have been banned by the Palestinian Supreme Court. Nevertheless, local doctors in the occupied West Bank have continued to call for the government to increase the number of doctors in public hospitals and clinics to ease the burden imposed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

INTERVIEW: Psychological support is vital for Palestinians in Gaza, but the real problems are the occupation, blockade