AVH and East Jerusalem Hospitals Respond to Reports of US Funding Cuts

Members of the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network draft a statement Monday. Photo by Ben Gray / LWF

"Overall, the decision puts the health of five million Palestinians at risk."

In an urgently called meeting on Monday, 10 September, the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network (EJHN) announced their regret over the reported decision by the US Administration to cut the funding from the six hospitals in East Jerusalem. According to a budget approved by the US Congress, the hospitals were scheduled to receive USD 25 million in settlement of bills for patients referred by the Palestinian Ministry of Health during financial year 2017.

“This decision will create serious cash flow problems at the hospitals and will cause delays in lifesaving and other urgent treatments which are available to Palestinians only from the East Jerusalem hospitals. Overall, the decision puts the health of five million Palestinians at risk,” the hospitals said through a statement released following the meeting. 

The EJHN also applauded the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to find a solution to the immediate crisis and reminded that a long-term solution for sustainability would need to be found.

LWF’s Augusta Victoria hospital is one of the six impacted hospitals in East Jerusalem.

 

EJHN statement pdf available here