KUALA LUMPUR – The Commonwealth medical fraternity had strong words for those involved in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which medical facilities have come under fire.
The Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) said targeting healthcare facilities and medical personnel is reprehensible and must be condemned unequivocally.
“The continuing bombardments and violent exchanges have caused immense trauma and stress to the civilian population, with grave consequences for physical and mental health,” said a joint statement from CMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai and secretary general Prof Dr J. A. Jayalal.
At least 500 people were killed in an Israeli air raid on the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza yesterday in the single deadliest attack since the war erupted on October 7, when Hamas gunmen killed an estimated 1,000 Israelis and foreign nationals in a large scale attack into Israel.
Israel has since responded with a continuous bombardment that has all but flattened the Gaza Strip, while ground forces prepare for a possible invasion.
“As an organisation representing medical professionals across the commonwealth, the CMA endeavours to uphold the ethical principles of the medical community, including advocating for the protection and preservation of human life,” the CMA added.
The CMA also asked its members and their respective governments to actively engage in urgent humanitarian aid and contribute resources to alleviate the suffering of collateral damage in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“The CMA calls on governments to provide medical supplies, trauma counseling, and rehabilitation services to those affected by the conflict without discrimination based on nativity or ethnicity.
“The CMA emphasizes the urgency of ending the Israel-Palestine war to alleviate the suffering of the affected population and must be given to the immediate release of hostages, particularly those who require urgent medical care,” the statement added. – October 18, 2023