Jerusalem, 30 January 2014 ---The East Jerusalem Hospitals Network (EJHN) held its third annual conference on 29 January 2014 in Jerusalem.  The aim of the conference was to serve as a forum for Palestinian health care leaders to present and discuss key issues facing the hospitals in East Jerusalem. Areas of focus included financial sustainability in Jerusalem, protection of Palestinian society in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem as a vital part of Palestine. The East Jerusalem Hospitals serve as the main centres for specialized care within the Palestinian health system. 

The conference was supported by WHO and organized by the EJHN as part of the EU-funded project "East Jerusalem Hospitals: Network for Quality". Participants included leaders from the local and international community, and staff from the East Jerusalem hospitals, as well as staff from the hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr Abdel Qader Husseini, chair of the EJHN, opened the conference. Other keynote speakers included H.E. Dr Jawad Awad, Minister of Health, H.E. Adnan Husseini, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, and Ms Lamees al Alami, former minister of education. Hospital leaders made presentations on a variety of topics including referrals to East Jerusalem Hospitals and the financial situation within the Palestinian Authority, social issues within the Palestinian community in Jerusalem including drug utilization, access to secondary and tertiary health care services, and inclusive education models.