W.Bank MPs urge PA to deal with the mass resignation of doctors

[ 10/06/2011 - 11:10 AM ]

WEST BANK, (PIC)-- Palestinian legislators from the change and reform bloc in the PLC have urged Thursday the PA to shoulder its responsibility for the safety of the Palestinian people after 750 Palestinian doctors resigned in the West Bank because the health ministry ignored their demands.

The MPs said that the problem must be immediately addressed and solved to avoid possible health catastrophe in the area if the PA remained idle, calling on the PA officials to meet with doctors and to listen to their demands so as to find a solution for this crises and to put the interest of the Palestinian people above all concerns.

They also criticized the deliberate "blocking" of the PLC from convening normally, saying that derailing the work of the PLC was one of the main reasons for such crises in the absence of clear legislations and supervision that could have controlled the problems and organized relationship between employees and employers.

In Ramallah, the fact-finding committee that follows up the issue recommended the immediate relieve of PA health minister in Ramallah government Fathi Abu Mughly due to "administrative and financial violations" during his term as head of the medical council.

In a press conference it held in Ramallah over the matter, the committee considered Abu Mughly fully responsible for the financial and administrative breaches in the council, and accused him of "misusing" his authority.

The committee also accused the council of lacking clear strategy, specific vision, and action plan that could help develop programs and plans to improve performance of the medical teams and to fulfill the Palestinian people's health needs.

The committee also said that the low salary rates of Palestinian doctors have forced many qualified and specialist doctors to migrate leaving sharp shortage in number of doctors in the West Bank.

Hundreds of Palestinian doctors have recently resigned after the PA supreme court ordered them to end their sit-in without even looking at their "just" demands.

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