PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT AMBULANCES OPERATE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002464

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS. PRM FOR
WITTEN/SANTOS. L FOR FRONT OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT AMBULANCES OPERATE IN
EAST JERUSALEM

Classified By: Acting Principal Officer Thomas Duffy, per reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Dr. Amin Abu Ghazali of the Red Crescent
Maternity Hospital in East Jerusalem told ConGenOffs that the
Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) operated five
additional ambulances in East Jerusalem and Israel after the
Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) approved the ambulances and
issued permits to 32 West Bank PRCS employees on November 29.
According to Dr. Abu Ghazali. the new ambulances responded
to three calls within the first 24 hours of duty and reported
no problems picking up patients at Qalandia Checkpoint and
transferring them to East Jerusalem hospitals. He said
increasing the number of ambulances from two to seven will
help PRCS handle its heavy caseload. He added, however, that
he expects the ambulances to face problems such as random
checkpoint delays, the continued back-to-back transfer of
patients at checkpoints, and the restriction on entering
Jerusalem villages like Abu Dis and al-Ram. End
Summary.

Five New PRCS Ambulances: First Day on the Job
-------------- -


2. (C) PRCS EMS Department Director Muhammad Awadeh
confirmed that PRCS received approval from the Israeli MoH to
operate five additional PRCS ambulances in East Jerusalem and
Israel and three month permits for 32 West Bank PRCS
employees to enter Jerusalem and perform medical services in
the ambulances within East Jerusalem and Israel. He said the
five ambulances were operational in East Jerusalem as of 1200
local time November 29.


3. (C) ConGenOffs visited East Jerusalem's Red Crescent
Maternity Hospital, which houses the ambulances, on November

30. Dr. Amin Abu Ghazali said the new ambulances responded
to three calls within the first 24 hours of duty: the
back-to-back transfer of a patient with congenital heart
disease from Qalandia Checkpoint to Maqassad Hospital in East
Jerusalem; the back-to-back transfer of a patient from
Qalandia Checkpoint to Hadassah Ein Karem in West Jerusalem;
and the transfer of a patient from St. Joseph's Hospital in
East Jerusalem to Maqassad Hospital. During the first 24
hours, Dr. Abu Ghazali said, the ambulances were operated by
a team with East Jerusalem IDs. He reported no problems at
Qalandia Checkpoint or in East Jerusalem when transporting
patients.

Ambulance Logistics - Getting Through Hospital Security
-------------- --------------


4. (C) ConGenOffs saw the Red Crescent Maternity Hospital's
seven ambulances. The two that have been operational since
June 2006 bear Magen David Adom (MDA) markings (white with a
horizontal blue stripe). The five new ambulances bear the
PRCS markings of PRCS ambulances in the West Bank (upper-half
white and lower-half orange). All seven ambulances have
yellow Israeli license plates.


5. (C) Dr. Abu Ghazali said there will be three shifts per
day, and six ambulances will operate around the clock. Two
ambulances will respond to Jerusalem calls, two will be used
for back-to-back transfers of West Bank patients at
checkpoints, one will serve Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cases,
and one will transport patients to Israeli hospitals outside
of Jerusalem. Dr. Abu Ghazali said shift work will be
divided among the East Jerusalem and West Bank ambulance
teams. He noted that PRCS employees with Jerusalem IDs wear
blue uniforms and those with West Bank IDs wear red uniforms.
After a few weeks, Dr. Abu Ghazali said that PRCS will
fine-tune the schedule and
possibly create a Beit Hanina substation for one or two of
the ambulances.


6. (C) Dr. Abu Ghazali said the increased number of
ambulances will help PRCS deal with its heavy caseload. He
said PRCS handled 220 cases in November 2007; 82 were within
East Jerusalem, and 138 were transfers from checkpoints into
Jerusalem. One ambulance, Dr. Abu Ghazali explained, can
manage approximately ten cases per 24 hour period so
increasing the number of ambulances will help deal with the
caseload.

PRCS Ambulances Continue to Face Problems
--------------


7. (C) "The number of ambulances has increased, but our work
routine and the problems we face will remain the

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same," said Dr. Abu Ghazali. He predicted that PRCS will
have problems receiving clearance for West Bank
patients at checkpoints. Dr. Abu Ghazali also said the
back-to-back transfer of patients at checkpoints often
brings delays. He added that the new ambulances, like the
older two, will not be permitted to enter villages outside
Jerusalem including Abu Dis, al-Ram, al-Zayim and Kufr Aqab
that are off-limits for Israel-plated vehicles.
DUFFY