The Right to Preventive Health Services for Palestinian Bedouin Women and Children in the Unrecognized Villages in the Naqab.

Petition filed in 12/97 on behalf 121 Palestinian Bedouin citizens of Israel living in unrecognized villages in the Naqab, the Association of Forty, Al Tufula Centre and Adalah against the Ministry of Health (MOH) demanding the establishment of 12 mother and child health clinics. Palestinian Bedouin women and children citizens of Israel have to travel for long distances in the desert to access health care facilities, provided only in Jewish localities and government-planned Arab towns.

Result: In 3/99, the Court ordered the MOH to establish six clinics and provide public transportation to existing ones. Motion for contempt filed in 1/00 to enforce the Court's order, seeking a heavy fine against the MOH for its failure to build the clinics. After months of delay, the Court ordered the MOH to set a new timetable for the construction of the clinics. As of 6/01, the MOH had built five clinics, operated one mobile clinic and provided some public transport. A sixth clinic was completed in 12/01. Hundreds of Palestinian Bedouin families now have reasonable access to on-site health care facilities, where none previously existed. Adalah was awarded legal fees of NIS 20,000.

(H.C. 7115/97, Adalah, et. al. v. Ministry of Health, et. al.)