Israel Matzav

'East Jerusalem' hospitals on verge of collapse: 'Palestinian Authority' hasn't paid its bills

More than thirty years ago, during the euphoria following Camp David, I traveled with my Grandmother a"h (May she rest in peace) to Egypt. My grandmother refused to drink (bottled) water, and as a result she dehydrated in Luxor on a day when it was 50 degrees Celsius outside... in March. There were a group of American nurses who were doing a rotation in a hospital in Riyadh who were part of our group, and they told me "whatever you do, do not let your grandmother be hospitalized in Egypt or in any other Arab country."

The gold standard for hospitals in this region is Israel. Thousands of 'Palestinians' and other Arabs are treated at Israel's hospitals - the 'Palestinians' rarely pay.

'East' Jerusalem is a distant second. The 'Palestinians' rarely pay there either. Now, the 'East Jerusalem' hospitals are going broke as a result of the 'Palestinian Authority's non-payment.

Saddled with seemingly insurmountable debt and lacking a long-term solution, Tawfiq Nasser doesn't mince words. "People will die," he said, solemnly, from his office at Augusta Victoria hospital in East Jerusalem.

"The bottom line is that people will not be able to access healthcare, especially the most disadvantaged: the poor, women, children, and people from Gaza," Nasser, CEO of Augusta Victoria hospital, and Director of the East Jerusalem hospital network (EJHN), said.

East Jerusalem hospitals are currently facing the most severe financial crisis in their history. As a result of unpaid debt accrued from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the six specialised healthcare centres that comprise the EJHN are currently operating with a financial shortfall of more than 57 million NIS ($14.9m).

Many hospitals are now considering cutting down on staff, or limiting the amount of patients they admit. Some are running out of medicines, while others haven't paid surgeons their full salaries in months. Most don't have the cash flow needed to purchase expensive equipment and tools.

"When the Palestinian Authority is in trouble, we have no means of sustenance. Of course, then it's the people who suffer," said Nasser, explaining that at Augusta Victoria hospital alone, the PA is behind on about 42 million NIS ($11m) in debt payments. "We could be looking at a complete collapse scenario."

Unfortunately, for the 'Palestinian Authority,' weapons to destroy Israel and  money for its leaders' Swiss bank accounts are a much higher priority than giving proper medical care to their 'people.' It is far more likely that the 'international community' will come in and bail out the 'Palestinian Authority' while the 'Palestinians' continue to choose guns exclusively over butter... guns and graft.

What could go wrong?

Labels: East Jerusalem, financial crisis, Palestinian Authority corruption, Palestinian Authority donors

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:20 PM