A story the US media will not tell you: The Palestinian Medical Relief Society

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Over the past five years, JVP members have worked as volunteers with our colleagues in the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), and we have come to know them as friends. This is part of their story.



PMRS provides emergency, rehabilitation, obstetric, and primary care services to people throughout the occupied Palestinian Territories. But they could not have been prepared for what happened on February 27, 2008.  An Israeli air strike hit the Ministry of Interior building in Gaza City, also destroying PMRS' head office in Gaza, including PMRS' main Gaza clinic, its pharmacy, a mobile clinic, a loan center for persons with disabilities and all administrative offices.

The attack also hit a nearby residential building, killing Mohamad Nasser Al-Borey, 5 months, in his family home.

More about the PMRS

PMRS is one of the largest non-governmental health service providers in Palestine, reaching 1.4 million Palestinians in over 490 cities, towns and villages in 2007. This was achieved through the extensive physical and human network built in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 29 years since PMRS was established.        

In Gaza, PMRS maintains four primary healthcare centres, two ambulances and two mobile clinics as well as an effective program to help people with disabilities, especially children. PMRS also runs an Individual Relief program for patients in need and a centre providing physiotherapy and assistive equipment to the disabled.        

In response to the complete Israeli blockade of Gaza since January 2008, PMRS had declared a status of emergency and was stepping its emergency program to support the needs of the people of Gaza, when its head office in Gaza was destroyed by an Israeli air strike.

To learn more about the PMRS, go to http://www.pmrs.ps
       




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