Yemeni hospitals wait to receive patients from Gaza [Archives:2009/1224/Front Page]
Mohammed Bin Sallam
SANA'A, Jan. 11 ) While hospitals in Sana'a are on stand-by to receive wounded Palestinians from Gaza, Egypt has refused to allow Yemeni airplanes in charge of transporting the wounded to Yemen to land at Al-Arish airport in Egypt.
Speaking to the Yemen Times, Dr. Faisal Al-Quhali, Director of the Minister of Health's Office, said that concerned bodies in the Yemeni government are exerting efforts to convince the Egyptian government to allow them to move the wounded to Yemen as soon as possible as the humanitarian situation in Gaza is seriously deteriorating as a consequence of the ongoing Israeli aggression on its inhabitants.
Egypt has also refused to allow the much-needed medical aid sent from Yemen to enter the devastated Gaza Strip, according to Al-Quhali.
A meeting chaired by Ministry of Public Health and Population was held last week to discuss preparations to carry out the directives of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to receive 500 wounded Palestinians in Yemen.
Al-Quhali and Ali Sariah, who is in charge of receiving the Palestinians patients, said that the ministry had directed public hospitals to receive the patients according to their capacity.
They said that the directives stated that the Sana'a General Military, Al-Thawra, Al-Jamhori Hospitals would receive 100 patients each whereas the Police Hospital would receive only 50. Al-Sabeen Obstetric and Gynecologic Hospital was directed to receive 35 and the Al-Kuwait Teaching Hospital 30. In the event that public hospitals cannot admit all the patients, 25 to 50 Palestinian patients will be transferred to private hospitals.
The Azaal Private Hospital announced its readiness to receive 50 Palestinians wounded during the aggression “as a human and professional duty”.
The Sana'a General Military Hospital has completed all preparations to receive over 400 Palestinians wounded in Gaza. Ali Mohammed Naji, director of the hospital, told the Yemen Times that doctors from different specializations are now ready to treat the Palestinian patients at any time.
“In addition to the Palestinians, the hospital is ready to receive Yemeni military officials and citizens without any difficulties,” said Naji. “The new wing of the hospital contains hundreds of beds and has been equipped with modern equipment.”
A government source has already stated to media outlets that “Yemen will send airplanes to move the wounded through Jordanian airports if Egypt refuses to allow them land in Al-Arish or Cairo.”
The source appealed to all the Arab governments to take the same initiative and receive the Palestinian patients to treat them in their hospitals in order to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and collaborate with them as they are subjected to a barbaric aggression by the Israel.
On the level of public advocacy to the Palestinian people, parties, syndicates and human rights organizations continue their activities nationwide to protest against the Israeli aggression on Gaza and support the Palestinian resistance that struggles to repel the Israeli forces and protect the Palestinian people.
——
[archive-e:1224-v:16-y:2009-d:2009-01-12-p:front]
