DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS DENIES COLLABORATION WITH ISRAEL ACCUSATION

Bethlehem, 11 Rajab 1436/30 April 2015 (MINA)– The Palestine branch of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has denied accusations that members of the mission leaked information on Palestinian patients to Israeli authorities.

Head of the MSF Palestine mission, Juan Carlon Cano, told Ma’an that the claims published recently by local Palestinian media are not true and emerged due to an internal conflict between two organization members.

Cano told Ma’an that the independent humanitarian medical organization does not have a political vision and that its work focuses only on providing quality medical care for Palestinians who live under occupation, Maan News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Cano added that the organization is committed to medical confidentiality and does not reveal any personal, medical or other information that may expose patients to harm by any authority or third party, without the approval of the patient.

He denied the claim that an Israeli is working as a supervisor to other workers in the organization’s projects in Palestine.

Cano’s statements came after Palestinian media had recently reported that his mission had employed an Israeli supervisor who shared information on Palestinian patients across the West Bank to Israeli authorities.

The organization has worked in the Gaza Strip since 1989 responding to direct and indirect consequences of violence in the enclave, andhas operated a psychological health program in the occupied West Bank districts of Jenin, Hebron, Nablus and Qalqiliya since 2000 and in Jerusalem since 2011.

In 2014, more than 5,500 people received psychological support, more than 340 surgeries were carried out and more than 1020 patients received rehabilitative care, according to the organization. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)