Finland is making a contribution of €2 million ($2.27 million) to the Palestinian Authority to support the payment of medical referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals, official sources have said.
This contribution is said to be channeled through the EU Program of Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority’s PEGASE mechanism.
The aid will help the Palestinian Authority meet its obligations towards East Jerusalem hospitals against the backdrop of the PA’s ongoing fiscal crisis and the socioeconomic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a statement issued by the Office of the European Union Representative.
It is also expected to help the East Jerusalem hospitals maintain critical medical services to Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
Together with European Union Member States, the EU has been supporting the Palestinian Authority since 2012 with regular contributions to the payment of referrals to East Jerusalem Hospitals that have reached over €140 million (almost $160 million) since then, said the official sources.
These hospitals are said to be an integral part of the Palestinian healthcare system providing specialized services that cannot be found elsewhere in the West Bank and in Gaza.
“The East Jerusalem hospitals are among the few Palestinian institutions still working in the city and provide essential quality health care services that are not available elsewhere in Palestine,” said European Union Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff.
“Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and its unprecedented implications for the well-being of the Palestinian population, they have played a crucial role as an integral part of the Palestinian health sector,” he added.
“The European Union and its member states support these hospitals to ensure that they continue to serve Palestinian patients from all over the occupied Palestinian territory. By this, we also help preserve the Palestinian identity of East Jerusalem that is challenged each day by Israel’s ongoing occupation practices,’’ he continued.
“Finland remains committed to supporting the high-quality healthcare for Palestinians from East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. Our direct financial support through PEGASE creates stability and alleviates life of Palestinian families in need of specialized health services”, said Ambassador Päivi Peltokoski, Representative of Finland.