The board of directors of the South African Medical Association (Sama) has announced it has cut its ties with the Israeli Medical Association (IMA).
In a statement on Saturday, the association said it had held broad deliberations to discuss its relationship with the IMA and reached a decision to terminate its alliance with it.
Sama also wants the IMA to be suspended from the World Medical Association.
“Sama has resolved to immediately suspend all professional and bilateral relations with the Israeli medical association and calls for the suspension of the IMA from the World Medical Association.”
Sama said ties between it and the IMA would remain broken until the Israeli association took decisive action in the Palestine and Israel conflict in Gaza.
Sama demanded that the IMA take public and verifiable actions to robustly:
- Demand the urgent release of all detained Palestinian medical personnel.
- Condemn the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system and actively advocate for its immediate reconstruction.
- Condemn the use of starvation as a policy and the blockade of essential medical supplies, calling for their immediate cessation.
- Take active measures to guarantee adequate medical care for all individuals under Israeli control, particularly Palestinians in detention facilities.
The association added it would not participate in the Declaration of Taipei working group while the IMA presided over it as its chair.
“These resolutions reflect Sama’s commitment to upholding medical ethics, human rights, and the sanctity of healthcare work in conflict situations, in line with the principles of the World Medical Association and international humanitarian law.”
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