“Thousands of doctors, many of them highly experienced have already left the country” he said. Doctors for Iraq is an independent association of medical professionals that was set up in October 2003.
PHA 2 is being held here from 17-22 July. PHA 2 is organized by the People’s Health Movement, a global coalition of health workers, doctors, activists and people from various walks of life.
PHA 2 is proposing to the WHO to monitor the health situation in Iraq independently. “WHO should set up a special commission for this purpose” said a spokes person for the People’s Health Movement. “The world needs to find out the truth about what is happening to the Iraqi people under US occupation” he said while addressing a press conference here today.
The Iraqi doctor gave a blow by blow account of targeted attack on hospitals and doctors. For example, he said that earlier this year at the Bakoba General Hospital, in the east of Iraq – the army entered and beat up one doctor and arrested another.
When the doctors protested they were also beaten up.
And in May this year US forces laid siege to a hospital in Hadeeth, western Iraq on the suspicion that there were insurgents hiding inside. They subsequently raided the hospital and smashed medical equipment, killing one patient with random gunfire.
Targetting civilian population and medical facilities and personnel is a blatant violation of Geneva conventions. “This is a war crime of the first order” Dr. Bert De Belder of International Action for Liberation, Belgium.
PHA 2 began with a symbolic ceremony of indigenous people here yesterday at the Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo (Pumapungo Archeological Park). The ceremony was attended by delegates from over 70 countries.
“PHA 2 is a leap forward from PHA-1” said Prof. Quasem Choudhury , Bangladesh. Prof. Choudhury was the co-ordinator of PHA-1 that was held in Bangladesh that was attended by people from over 70 countries. “PHA 2 is making connections between the health movements in Latin America to the rest of the world” he said.
“Free Trade Agreements are the number enemy of public health today” said Dr. Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador. “Asia can learn lessons from Latin America”, he said while referring to the disastrous impacts of unfair trade practices that has reversed the health indicators in many countries.
“What Africans need is justice and not charity” said Ms. Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe addressing presspersons here today. She was referring to the failure of the recently held G 8 summit in affectively dealing with the debt issue.
PHA 2 will be held over five days and includes dozens of workshops and seminars on a variety of themes ranging from impact militarization on health to the politics of aid in emergency and disaster situations. Delegates include doctors and other health personnel together with trade union, environment and human rights activists
For media enquiries for PHA-2, please call:
+593 919 6 17 12 (Unnikrishnan -
unnikru@yahoo.com ) or • Fabiola (Spanish) : 0 9453 0115 (From abroad : dial +593 9453 0115 )
• Satya (English): 0 9156 2935 (From abroad : dial +593 9156 2935)
satyasagar@yahoo.com • Gloria (Eng and Spanish): 0 9873 9376 (From abroad : dial +593 9873 9376)
www.phmovement.org and www.iphcglobal.org
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