As Israel Blocks PA Funding, the West Bank’s Healthcare System Is Failing

At Beit Jala Government Hospital, the only government hospital in Bethlehem governorate, oncologist Khaldoun Atwan says cancer patients are missing appointments and essential chemotherapy drugs. The shortages come as the Palestinian Authority’s finances have collapsed amid declining international aid and disruptions to Israeli transfers of tax revenues. Road closures and checkpoints also hinder travel for medical staff and patients, while employees receive only half their salaries. Atwan says the hospital is distributing whatever medicines it can find in limited quantities.