The European Union, Finland and Italy made a contribution of 15.678 million euros to the Palestinian Authority, to support the payment of medical referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals. This contribution was funded by the European Union (€13 million), the Government of Finland (€1.678 million) and the Government of Italy (€1 million).
The support provided to East Jerusalem hospitals, provided through the Palestinian Authority, will help the hospitals to provide needed services for Palestinian patients coming from Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Since 2012, the European Union and its Member States have supported the Palestinian Authority with regular contributions to cover medical referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals, amounting to over €141 million. These hospitals are an integral part of the Palestinian healthcare system, providing specialized services that cannot be found anywhere else in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
EU Deputy Representative Maria Velasco said, “With the support of the European Union and its member states today, we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining access to specialized medical services for all Palestinians, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. East Jerusalem hospitals are among the last Palestinian institutions that are still operating in the city. Their presence helps preserve the Palestinian character of the city and ensure the provision of high-quality medical services to Palestinian citizens. This contribution demonstrates our strong and unwavering commitment to the Palestinians and their aspiration for an independent Palestinian state in the future."
As Giuseppe Fidel, Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem said, “Italy has always supported East Jerusalem hospitals, in line with its multiple efforts to increase access to quality health services for all Palestinians. East Jerusalem hospitals also play a crucial role in this regard, being the main provider of specialized treatments that Not yet available in the West Bank and Gaza. Through this contribution, we intend to provide immediate support to the Palestinian Authority’s ability to pay for treatment of referred patients, as well as to encourage broader reform aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of the Palestinian health system.”
For her part, Ambassador Paevi Peltokowski, Representative of Finland, said: “Finland, with the European Union and other Member States, continues to support East Jerusalem hospitals to ensure that they provide high-quality healthcare to Palestinian patients from East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. Our direct financial support through PEGASE creates stability. And it eases the lives of Palestinian families who need specialized health services.”
general information:
The European Union contributes €13 million each year to the cost of medical referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals under the PEGASE Direct Financial Support Program through which most of the EU´s aid to the Palestinian Authority is channeled. Since 2012, the European Union and its Member States (Italy and Finland) have disbursed more than €141 million to partially cover the cost of health referrals issued by the Palestinian Authority to hospitals in East Jerusalem.
East Jerusalem hospitals serve as major centers for specialized care within the Palestinian health system. These hospitals are also an integral part of the Palestinian healthcare system, providing specialized services that cannot be found anywhere else in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Patients who require medical services that are not available in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - such as oncology, renal care and heart surgery - are referred for treatment in East Jerusalem hospitals by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. There are six health institutions in East Jerusalem: Augusta Victoria Hospital, Makassed Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, St. John´s Eye Hospital, Maternity Hospital, the Palestinian Red Crescent, and Princess Basma Rehabilitation Center.
