title: The Separation Wall and the right to healthcare.
abstract: Nowadays, the concepts of soldier and war have changed due to terrorism and the war on terrorism. According to the literature, to prevent terrorism, it is possible to use more violence, but how can we grant the safety of many versus the dignity of a few? In Israel, in order to protect civilians against possible terrorist attacks, Palestinian ambulances that would reach the Israeli hospitals (or the Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem) must be quickly controlled. However, many times, at the checkpoint, patients have to wait for an Israeli vehicle that will take them to Israel. This procedure causes many delays in medical emergency. How to avoid that terrorists may receive better care than Palestinian civilians may just because they are already on the Israeli side of the Separation Wall? How is it possible to ensure the life and safety of many, without denying the right to healthcare to somebody? How to decide when the State requirements conflict with traditional medical duties? Is it acceptable to provide health care to a terrorist? What should be done when it is uncertain whether the ambulance transports weapons besides patients? These questions call upon the core role of the doctor and of the medical profession: taking care of all sick persons. The care is the starting point of ethics. If we do not care about other human beings we do not have a real moral comprehension of any human ideal or action. For this reason we can say that the care is the premise of morality. The rights of all citizens, including the claim to public security, grounds on the care for each individual who needs help.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Sciences of Life, Insubria University, Via O. Rossi N. 9 (Pad. Antonini), 21100, Varese, Italy. melania.borgo@uninsubria.it.
authors.forename: Melania
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Sciences of Life, Insubria University, Via O. Rossi N. 9 (Pad. Antonini), 21100, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picozzi
mesh_terms: D000552:Ambulances; D018912:Arabs; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D028701:Patient Rights; D023481:Terrorism / Q000941:ethics / Q000517:prevention & control; D014857:Warfare
keywords: Emergency; Healthcare ethics; Human rights; Israeli–Palestinian conflict; Public safety; Terrorism