As Israel blocks PA funding, the West Bank’s healthcare system is failing

Beit Jala, occupied West Bank – Khaldoun Atwan starts each day in the oncology ward at Beit Jala Government Hospital, not knowing what barriers will come his way.The Nabi Yunis checkpoint in Halhul seems to be “always closed”, so the head of the daytime oncology unit at the hospital leaves his car and finishes the commute from Hebron by taxi.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Palestine weekly: Gaza marks year of ‘ceasefire’ with more Israeli killinglist 2 of 3Israeli forces raid Palestinian NGOs in occupied West Banklist 3 of 3Gun-wielding Israeli settlers terrorise fruit pickers, observersend of list“More than once, by God, I found the mirror broken. I found the wiper broken,” he said about his journey through an area where settlers are now active.Traversing a dizzying array of gates and checkpoints opening or closing at will, he does not know whether he will reach the hospital, whether his patients will, or whether the drugs they need will be on the shelf when they do.Beit Jala is the only government hospital in Bethlehem governorate, home to some 320,000 people. Inside his tiny, spartan office, Atwan is struggling to keep up with his cancer patients who have regressed...