GAZA, January 12, 2017 (WAFA) - Israeli permit approval rates for Gaza patients seeking treatment in West Bank, East Jerusalem or Israeli hospitals were critically low in November, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

It said in its monthly report on Gaza referrals and access that of 2,794 patient permit applications to exit Gaza through the Israeli Erez checkpoint for hospital appointments in November, 50.18 per cent were approved.

October, with 44.08 per cent approved, and November represent the lowest and second lowest approval rates, respectively, recorded by WHO since April 2009.

It said 169 patients (6.05 per cent) were denied permits, including 13 children and 13 elderly persons over 60 years. Among those denied was a patient requiring urgent heart surgery.

In addition, 1,223 patients (43.77%) received no response, including 323 children and 130 elderly people over 60.

WHO said the sharp increase of total applications in November reflects the high number of reapplications for patients who were denied or delayed in previous months.

Most patients’ companions are denied or delayed permits, it said, explaining that the approval rate for permit applications of patient companions was 42.7 per cent; about 7 per cent of the companions were denied permits and the remaining 50n per cent were still pending at the time of the patients’ hospital dates.

WHO report said 33 patients, among them 14 females, were requested by the Israeli General Security Services for interviews at Erez during November. 11 were approved.

M.K.