Sick Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails continue to suffer from the prison administration’s systematic policy of medical negligence, further worsening already precarious health conditions, the detainees and ex-detainees affairs committee stated, on Saturday.Palestinian prisoners are held in overcrowded cells which lack basic health standards, WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency reports, including the infestation of insects and rats, extreme cold and lack of heating methods, in addition to leakage of waste water into their cells, further aggravating their already poor and unacceptable conditions.
Lawyer for the committee, Mo’taz Shqirat, highlighted the cases of three prisoners whose health conditions are continuingly deteriorating, due to the Israeli prison administration’s failure to provide them with the necessary medical treatment.
Mohammad al-Arqan, a resident of Hebron who was sentenced to life in Rimon Israeli prison, suffers from extremely difficult health conditions; he was diagnosed with liver cancer almost 13 years ago, during which the prison administration did not allow him to undergo the necessary surgery to eradicate the tumor in its early stages, further worsening his case.
Al-Arqan’s health condition has extremely worsened during the past two months; he reported that he gets no relief, not even temporarily, with any available painkillers; the prison administration, with its continued deliberate medical negligence is fully responsible for his rapidly deteriorating health condition.
Meanwhile, prisoner Khaled al-Qadi, a resident of Gaza sentenced to 14 and a half years in Rimon, reports that he is in an urgent need of medical help, as his immune system is extremely low and is unable to move.
Al-Qadi was diagnosed with the Hepatitis B virus, which he said was transmitted to him by the prison’s dental clinic in March of 2014. He said that he has been left untreated since then, noting that he was transferred to the prison clinic almost two weeks ago but was denied treatment by a doctor who claimed to have been busy at the time.
Regarding the case of Ali Hassan, from Qalqilia, who was sentenced to life plus an additional seven years in Asqalan prison, various health problems were reported, including respiratory difficulties and problems in both the second and third vertebrae, in his spinal column.
Hassan has also been denied medical treatment by the prison administration, further worsening his back pain, which has traveled down through his legs and rendered him unable to walk without the help of crutches.
WAFA additionally reports that, according to Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, the number of sick prisoners detained in Israeli jails has now reached some 1,500, 80 of whom are suffering from serious health problems and are not receiving the necessary treatment; they suffer from malignant diseases, paralysis and disabilities, in addition to cases of mental illness and neurological disorder.
Furthermore, according to Addameer human rights association, “Israeli authorities responsible for prisoners regularly neglect their duties to provide medical support for Palestinian prisoners in their care, as required by the Geneva Conventions.”
“Medical problems are widespread, and range in severity from chest infections and diarrhea to heart problems and kidney failure. Treatment is often inadequate and is delivered after substantial delays. Often medication is limited to over-the-counter pain killers.”
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