GAZA, August 28, 2006 (WAFA) - Palestinian Health Information Center at Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that more than 68 pregnants forced to give birth at Israeli military checkpoints, 34 fetuses died and 4 women died in the West Bank (WB) and Gaza Strip (GS).... In a report issued Monday, the center added that, since the start of Al-Aqsa Intifada on September 28, 2000 until August 20, pregnants prevented from reaching hospitals due to Israeli acts, pointing that 10% of those women were in need of 2 to 4 hours to arrive to the hospital and 6% of them in need of more than 4 hours compared to 15-30 minutes before the break out of al- Aqsa Intifada.... It added that the military checkpoints and border crossings in WB and GS witnessed many of the closures, recording 137 patients died at military checkpoints, including 49 women, i.e. 35.8% of the total patients, where the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) prevented ambulances from transferring them to hospitals.... The center monitored and recorded the following statistics on pregnant who gave birth at military checkpoints and were as follows:
- The number of children who died at military checkpoints resulted from the lack of necessary health care after childbirth was 34, i.e. 50.0% of the total of these children.... - The number of women who died as a result of Israeli acts on military checkpoints and suffered of complications after giving birth because of the lack health care was four, i.e. 5.9% of the total of those women.... - The number of pregnants who were wounded at military checkpoints due to IOF assaulting, fire live bullets and poison gas was 6 women.... - The number of pregnants who were forced to give birth at military checkpoints was 52 women in the WB, i.e. 76.5% of the total of those women, and 16 women in GS, i.e. 23.5% of the total number.... E.B. (12:21 P) (09:21 GMT)