253924 Do No Harm: Documenting Violations of Medical Neutrality in Bahrain

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 2:50 PM

Richard Sollom, MA, MPH , Physicians for Human Rights, Cambridge, MA
     
The Kingdom of Bahrain is the smallest country in the Persian Gulf. In February 2011, Bahraini protesters calling for political and economic reform began to march on the streets of Bahrain's capital, Manama. The Bahraini government responded to protests with minimal concessions and violence, assaulting unarmed protesters with rubber bullets, tear gas, and birdshot. Physicians for Human Rights investigated severe violations of medical neutrality in Bahrain in April 2011. PHR conducted 47 in-depth interviews with health professionals and other eyewitnesses to human rights violations. PHR used both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather independent corroboration on reported violations, and investigate reports of attacks on individual health professionals and medical clinics.

Medical neutrality ensures 1) the protection of medical personnel, patients, facilities, and transport from attack or interference; 2) unhindered access to medical care and treatment; 3) the humane treatment of all civilians; and 4) nondiscriminatory treatment of the injured and sick.

Learning Objectives:
Define the principles of medical neutrality. Identify the linkages between professional medical ethics, human rights law, and international humanitarian law. Compare current violations of medical neutrality in Bahrain with those occurring in the rest of the Middle East/North Africa (MENA).

Keywords: Medical Care, Human Rights

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Deputy Director at Physicians for Human Rights, I oversee research and investigations on documenting violations of medical neutrality and serve as PI for PHR’s research in Bahrain and Syria.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Health and Human Rights Under Oppressive Governments
See more of: APHA-International Human Rights Committee