Published 2 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2691
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2691

News

BMA meeting: representatives say medical associations should speak out against denial of medical services to civilians

Deborah Cohen

1 BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The BMA will consider suspending contact with any national medical association that does not speak out against the military targeting of healthcare staff and hospitals or the denial of medical services, representatives at the annual BMA conference have voted.

Although it was made clear that no race, nationality, or faith was favoured, reference was made to humanitarian crises in Darfur, Gaza, and Sri Lanka.

Speaking for the motion (to suspend contact), Nazia Rashid, a general practitioner in Bedford, described the legal basis for protection of civilians and humanitarian workers in conflicts as enshrined in the 1949 Geneva Convention: "This includes the right to be treated humanely, have access to food, water, shelter, medical treatment, be free from humiliating or degrading treatment; and the prohibition against collective punishment or imprisonment.

"To our great detriment these rights have unfortunately not been afforded to civilians or humanitarian workers across the world including Darfur, . . . [Full text of this article]


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