Cooperation between the Israel
Ministry of Health (IMOH) and the Palestinian Health Authority (PHA)
intensified from 1994 to 1998 and proved to be stable and efficient due to the good will
of the two parties and the persistent direct contacts and dialogue.
The dialogue and cooperation on various issues in the
fields of health and medicine were performed and promoted by the
activities of the joint professional committees as follows:
1. Joint committee on public health, including preventive medicine
and epidemiology:
This committee deals with public health issues common to both sides,
exchange of medical information and statistical reports, disease
prevention and early detection projects, coordination of common
policy on immunization.
2. Joint committee on drugs and pharmaceuticals:
This committee deals with quality, effectiveness and safety of drugs
produced in Israel, and in the Palestinian autonomy, regulations for
transportation of drugs between Gaza, Judea-Samaria and Israel,
regulations regarding donations and import of drugs.
3. Joint committee on food control:
This committee is responsible for ensuring good manufacturing
practices for manufactured and imported food on both sides.
4. Joint committee on training programs for health and medical
personnel:
This committee deals with the evaluation and determination of needs
for various training programs, and with planning and organization of
courses, workshops and post-graduate studies.
A. Referral of Palestinian patients to Israeli hospitals for
hospitalization and ambulatory care:
Complementary medical service in Israel is needed because of the lack
of certain facilities in areas of the Palestinian autonomy. About
4000 patients from Judea-Samaria and Gaza are referred yearly for
hospitalization and about 8600 patients from both areas are referred
yearly for ambulatory procedures and therapeutic care.
B. Cooperation between Magen David Adam of Israel and the Palestinian
Red Crescent.
Palestinian ambulance drivers get their training in first aid and
emergency medicine from Magen David Adam instructors,
C. Drugs and immunization supplies.
The PHA purchases drugs and immunizations from the same Israel source
from which the IMOH purchases the products.
D. Israeli - Palestinian joint projects developed by the Economic
Cooperation Foundation.
Joint projects have been developed in the areas of primary health
care, occupational medicine, rehabilitation and post-graduate
training. These projects are carried out and supervised by the
Economic Cooperation Foundation.