Free health insurance programme faces hurdle

The Palestinian government has agreed to continue dispensing free medical insurance to unemployed Palestinians, but imposed seemingly impossible requirements to obtain the insurance.

Following public outrage over the controversial suspension of the programme that was set to take effect on March 1, the Palestinian cabinet has relented.

However, jobless Palestinians must get approval from seven Palestinian ministries and departments stating the applicant does not work and that no property is registered in his or her name, according to Hussain Al Foqaha’a, who heads the Ramallah branch of the Palestinian Trade and Labourers Unions. The free insurance programme was established in 2000.