Warnings of humanitarian disaster in ‘Damon’ Prison: Medical negligence threatens lives of ill Palestinian female prisoners
RAMALLAH, July 15 (YPA) – The Prisoners’ Media Office has warned of escalating health risks faced by ill Palestinian female prisoners in “Damon” prison as a result of the ongoing policy of medical negligence pursued by the Israeli occupation authorities.
The office emphasized that several of them suffer from serious illnesses requiring urgent medical treatment and care, amid a total deprivation of necessary medical follow-up, which places their lives in real danger.
In a statement, the office explained that prisoner Fatma Saed Abdul Hamid Yousef (34 years old) represents one of the most critical health cases inside the prison. She suffers from Hepatitis C, along with severe inflammation at the site of a surgical operation she had undergone prior to her arrest, while her health condition continues to deteriorate due to the persistent denial of appropriate treatment.
It added that the prisoner has lost approximately 22 kilograms in a short period since her arrest, reflecting the scale of health deterioration she is experiencing, amid growing fears that her life is in danger due to ongoing medical negligence.
The office pointed out that Fatma’s suffering extends beyond her health, as her six children have been deprived of their mother’s presence. Meanwhile, her family lives in a state of constant anxiety in the absence of any accurate information regarding her health status or the level of medical care provided to her, due to restrictions imposed on visits and communication.
It stressed that the crisis is not limited to Fatma Yousef’s case but extends to other female prisoners suffering from critical health conditions. Among them are Fida Assaf, who is suffering from leukemia; Suhair Za’aqiq, who has cancer; and Abeer Odeh, who suffers from the loss of a portion of her esophagus and intestines, in addition to having masses in her stomach, while they continue to be deprived of necessary medical treatment and care.
The Media Office renewed its call to human rights and humanitarian organizations, foremost among them the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to take immediate action and pressure the occupation authorities to guarantee the provision of urgent treatment for the sick female prisoners, and to allow independent medical visits to assess their health conditions. It warned that the continuation of the medical negligence policy could lead to grave humanitarian consequences threatening the lives of the female prisoners inside the occupation prisons.
YPA