Alert for action -- Save Gaza children

PATIENT INFORMATION:

Name: Islam Alassouli
Age: 4-years old
Location: Khan Younis

Status: Permission for bone marrow transplant in Israel rejected on April 13, 2008 for the fourth time by Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO) at Erez crossing point.
Rivat Mheisin, responsible for the coordination and liaison office for the Palestinian Authority (PA) health ministry, located at Erez crossing, informed Islam's father that the ambulance for his son did have permission to cross into Israel.

Israel has denied all four requests for treatment in Israel and/or abroad without specifying the reasons for rejection.

CASE SUMMARY:

Islam Alassouli is a four-year child living in Khan Younis camp, in southern Gaza. 12-days from birth Islam was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA).

Islam's bone marrow is unable to produce red blood cells due to the disease. He also suffers from anemia, a condition generally caused by PRCA.

Islam requires monthly blood transfusions to survive, since he suffers from severe anemia. Transfusion therapy can lead to an excess of iron in the body, stored in the heart, liver and other essential organs. If gone untreated, it will eventually cause severe organ damage. Transfusions can also transmit infections.

Therefore, Islam has been using 'Desferal infusions' that reduce iron levels in his body. The 'Desferal infusions' are carried out for 16 hours per day on a daily basis.

At four-years old, it is difficult for Islam to physically tolerate the infusion therapy.

Medical officials from the Health Ministry in Gaza assert Islam must use a 'Desferal infusion' pump instead of the ordinary infusion therapy. This device injects the drug intravenously within a specified period of time.

The pump is not available in Gaza due to the siege imposed on Gaza's civilian population. Islam's parents have also been unable to secure Desferal drugs and iron supplements, unavailable in Gaza pharmacies.

Israel effectively sealed all commercial and passenger border crossing to Gaza in an effort to halt the increasing rocket fire into Israel.

Food, medicine, and other vital and basic supplies are running dangerously low in Gaza because of the severity of the nine month closure, according to UNRWA.
In terms of medicines, the WHO report that 91 of the 416 drugs listed as essential are at zero level. The siege has caused a severe shortage of drugs and medicines in Gaza hospitals and health clinics.

Islam has applied for permission four times to receive his medication and treatment either in Israel or abroad.

Israel has denied all four requests without specifying the reasons of rejection.

Islam applied once for permission to receive treatment in Al-Arabi hospital in Nablus, West Bank and now three times to receive treatment in Tel-Hashomer hospital in Israel.

Islam's parents were issued a referral by the PA health ministry to treat Islam in Tel-Hashomer Hospital in Israel. In kind, Tel-Hashomer confirmed Islam would be accepted for treatment. The expenses for Islam's treatment are covered by the PA.

Due to the Israeli closure over Gaza, Islam does not have the option to receive medical care in Egypt, Jordan, or elsewhere.

Islam's parents are submitting a fifth application, while Physicians for Human Rights is following his case.




For further information please contact:

The Palestinian International Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza
Ayman Quader (Arabic)
+972-599-448-628
Said Al-Madhoun (English)
+972-599-603-393

Saed Alassouli (Islam's Father)
+972-(0)599-225-473

Physicians for Human Rights, Israel
Miri Weingarten, director of the Occupied Palestinian Territory department
+972-3-687-3718 ext.115
+972-(0)54-699-5199
Miri@phr.org.il

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[lahij]

saudi arabia should biggest responisble becuase saudi is first islam world , why saudi not tell west must shut up must stop blame islam

[lahij]

that why israel zionist govement much broken promise palestine, hamas arafrt been told israel must stop murdewr, if zionost give up stop war palestine will give peace, israel never never want peace, trust me, muslim world know already west govement betrayed muslim govement broken promise againist muslim world

[lahij]

that why palestine has much suffert than jew chrisyian in israel land, becuase zionist block aid food, that is most seroius, muslim world will furious will worse angry must stop war againist human west need blame zionost

[lahij]

that why muslim world know that earth is short life, jannah is more happy life than earth, all religion will fool hereafter hell fire soory, i wish all religion could save convert islam from from hell fire, it was allah only know it

[xKingPola3ux]

no because if israel did that, they know they would get fucked by the whole world. not because they care.

[facerrd]

I agree with you 100% if the U.S.A. tell the Isreali shut up they will listen because I think Isreal can not exit without the help from U.S.A. so let us hope the new president will be fair to Isreali as to palestinians in the same time and have long peace in the region. George Bush was like a toy in hands of the jews extremists in the united states.

[mommyjaylon]

islam you are a angle and it will all work out for you i will pray for you evry night i just cant stop thinkin about you all like i said my son who is 2 has thalessemia major and my 5 year old has sickle cell and its hard with one child sick but i got to you got to keep positive mommy for islam and everything will be fine muahhhhhhhhh veronica

[mommyjaylon]

my heart goes out to you and my son too has been takeing desferal infusions also and i pray that you and your son get the best of care and get what you need god bless you and islam veronica from florida