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July 19, 2005
Press Release: People's Health Movement PHM - re-establish health and equitable
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION MUST PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE
“Violence against doctors by the US occupying forces has triggered a mass exodus of doctors from Iraq”
Cuenca, Ecuador, 18 July: Doctors attending the second People’s Health
Assembly testified that over 100 doctors have been killed in violence
against doctors and patients in Iraq during the past two years of US
occupation.
“In 2004 alone 71 medical professors have been killed or been
intimidated to leave the country. There is complete insecurity in Iraqi hospitals that has resulted in many casualties” said Dr. Salam Ismael, General Secretary, Doctors for Iraq.
“Thousands of doctors, many of them highly experienced have already left the country” he said. Doctors for Iraq is an independent association of medical professionals that was set up in October 2003.
PHA 2 is being held here from 17-22 July. PHA 2 is organized by the
People’s Health Movement, a global coalition of health workers, doctors, activists and people from various walks of life.
PHA 2 is proposing to the WHO to monitor the health situation in Iraq
independently. “WHO should set up a special commission for this purpose” said a spokes person for the People’s Health Movement. “The world needs to find out the truth about what is happening to the Iraqi people under US occupation” he said while addressing a press conference here today.
The Iraqi doctor gave a blow by blow account of targeted attack on
hospitals and doctors. For example, he said that earlier this year at
the Bakoba General Hospital, in the east of Iraq – the army entered and beat up one doctor and arrested another. When the doctors protested they were also beaten up. And in May this year US forces laid siege to a
hospital in Hadeeth, western Iraq on the suspicion that there were
insurgents hiding inside. They subsequently raided the hospital and
smashed medical equipment, killing one patient with random gunfire.
Targetting civilian population and medical facilities and personnel is a blatant violation of Geneva conventions. “This is a war crime of the
first order” Dr. Bert De Belder of International Action for Liberation, Belgium.
PHA 2 began with a symbolic ceremony of indigenous people here yesterday at the Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo (Pumapungo Archeological Park). The ceremony was attended by delegates from over 70 countries.
“PHA 2 is a leap forward from PHA-1” said Prof. Quasem Choudhury ,
Bangladesh. Prof. Choudhury was the co-ordinator of PHA-1 that was held in Bangladesh that was attended by people from over 70 countries. “PHA 2 is making connections between the health movements in Latin America to
the rest of the world” he said.
“Free Trade Agreements are the number enemy of public health today” said Dr. Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador. “Asia can learn lessons from Latin America”, he said while referring to the disastrous impacts of unfair trade practices that has reversed the health indicators in many
countries.
“What Africans need is justice and not charity” said Ms. Mary Sandasi,
Zimbabwe addressing presspersons here today. She was referring to the
failure of the recently held G 8 summit in affectively dealing with the debt issue."
PHA 2 will be held over five days and includes dozens of workshops and
seminars on a variety of themes ranging from impact militarization on
health to the politics of aid in emergency and disaster situations.
Delegates include doctors and other health personnel together with trade union, environment and human rights activists
For media enquiries: +593 919 6 1712 / +593 9873 9376 / +593 9453
0115 / +593 9156 2935
Posted by jeff at July 19, 2005 07:50 AM