Issue No. 137, September 2009 Health Insurance for Persons with Disabilities: Real Practices or Pure Wishes? ..........4 Fatah’s sixth conference was held in Bethlehem, as planned, this past August. Challenges of Equal Opportunity for Women with Disabilities in Palestine. ..................8 There were some controversies around it, but all in all it went well and a new Central Howling in Am Salamonah ...........................................................................................18 Committee was elected, with several new faces and younger blood injected into it. Testimonial ...................................................................................................................26 A major disappointment was the absence of the Fatah members of the Gaza Strip. Disability in Palestine: Realities and Perspectives ......................................................28 We now look forward to a fresh outlook and take on the situation, with novel ways to Gender and Disabilities ...............................................................................................32 deal with it. Disability and Rehabilitation in Palestine .....................................................................38 The internal political impasse cannot go on much longer. It must be dealt with as soon Disability in Palestine ...................................................................................................42 as possible, before the rift becomes larger and matters become more complicated. It Arab Workshop for the Blind ........................................................................................46 only needs goodwill from both sides. Young Palestinians and Multiple Sclerosis ..................................................................52 This month’s issue of This Week in Palestine looks at an important topic that is often When I Grow Up ..........................................................................................................56 not given its right share of attention. Disability is a major concern in Palestine. Besides Hidden Disability ..........................................................................................................58 the natural disabilities that arise from congenital malformations, Palestinians are inflicted Oktoberfest in Taybeh ..................................................................................................60 with disabilities that come as a result of the armed conflict that we have been – and Cultural Preserves .......................................................................................................62 continue to be – in for many decades now. Thousands of persons were rendered Letters to the Editor .....................................................................................................64 disabled as a result of shootings and bombings, leaving them with impaired vision or In the Limelight ............................................................................................................66 blind, with a missing hand or leg or both, or deformed in one way or another. Reviews .......................................................................................................................70 This places a big burden on the health care and social services that have to be Events ..........................................................................................................................74 provided to these persons, in addition to the economic burden on the family that has Listings ...................................................................................................................76-92 to care for a disabled person, and the overall economic burden on the government Maps and Where to Go? ........................................................................................91-97 that has to provide extra services to people with disabilities. The Last Word .............................................................................................................98 Governments sometimes are not capable of providing the right care all alone. They Picturesque Palestine .................................................................................................99 are often helped by private and non-governmental institutions and organisations that fill the void and provide much needed support and vital services such as rehabilitation, occupational therapy, etc. Luckily, there are several such institutions operating in Palestine, staffed by dedicated personnel and volunteers. Vacation time is over (at least for those with school-age kids), and it is back to school. Take a deep breath as we go back to the usual September-to-June grind. Telefax: + 970/2-2-2951262 Tony A. Khoury e-mail: [email protected] Editor-in-chief www.thisweekinpalestine.com Printed by Studio Alpha, Al-Ram, Jerusalem Binding by Al-Asdika', Al-Ram, Jerusalem Forthcoming Issues: Distributed by • Rule of Law and Good Governance - October 2009 Theme: Disabilities in Palestine • The Fertile Triangle (Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilia) - November 2009 Cover: Gaza girl with gunshot wound to head receiving physio therapy Photo by: John Tordai, UNRWA archive • Social Corporate Responsibility - December 2009 Advisory Board Mahmoud Abu Hashhash Ibrahim Matar Writer and art critic Development Consultant Dr. Rania Filfil Almbaid Najah Osaily The views of all the articles do not neccessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Freelance translator and writer Osaily Trading Contracting Co. Maps herein have been prepared solely for the convenience of the reader; the designations and presentation of material do not imply any expression of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, editor, and its Emile Ashrawi Nidal Rafa advisory board as to the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of the authorities thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or national affiliation. Father and grandfather Journalist/Television Producer 2 3 sector to meet the emerging needs of Palestinian territories, and the continuous Health Insurance for Persons with the Palestinian population. Nevertheless, decline of the Palestinian economy. Disabilities: Real Practices or Pure Wishes? patients with public health insurance still The country is currently experiencing need to access the health services they severe constraints: an apparent lack By Rima Canawati are entitled to from public hospitals in of specialists and qualified medical The Palestinian law on the rights in the rehabilitation sector, providing other districts, rather than being referred and paramedical human resources, of persons with disabilities No. 4/99 national, intermediate, and grassroots- to NGOs despite difficulties encountered a considerable shortage of medical stipulates that “the state shall guarantee level rehabilitation services as well as in access and expenses given the supplies and technical resources, which health services that are included in assistive devices. deteriorating conditions in the country, in turn has adverse effects on the quality not to mention the quality differences of the health services rendered. the government health insurance free Health services are restricted to health of charge both to the individual with between the health services rendered Not all persons with disabilities have centres, general hospitals, and private by the public sector on one hand and disability and to his/her family.” clinics in addition to rehabilitation centres, equal access to health care services in those rendered by the NGO sector on Palestine; particularly those who come Unfortunately, the law has not yet been whereas many specialised health the other. implemented. However, an agreement services are still lacking, particularly from poor families and live in remote was reached between the General in the public sector. The majority of Patients entitled to public health rural areas. A significant number of them Union of Disabled Palestinians (GUDP) patients seek these specialised services insurance may avail themselves of face problems accessing the needed and the Palestinian Ministry of Social within the NGO and private sectors, if primary level health services at primary specialised health services that are Affairs during the second Intifada that available; otherwise, they seek those health clinics in rural areas and secondary unavailable in the public sector because allows persons with disabilities to access services abroad being self-referred or, level health services at general public the referral system is quite bureaucratic, government health insurance and enable when entitled to public health insurance, hospitals in cities whenever needed; centralised, and ineffective. them to receive health care services referred by the Palestinian Ministry of patients without disabilities have to pay In general, there are no conditions for for 60 shekels to be paid once. A few Health, which covers approximately 70 fees for public health insurance (around obtaining health insurance as long as years ago, this fee was cancelled to 90 percent of the cost of treatment 960 shekels per year). end users pay the required fees that the and persons with disabilities became incurred depending on the period during It is important to note that the majority of the population cannot afford entitled to free government health which the person has been insured (i.e., health system in Palestine has been due to the sluggish economy stifled by insurance. Nevertheless, children