Fiona Stanley Hospital cancels Event Featuring Australian-Palestinian Doctors, Prompting outcry from Namesake
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - Distinguished Professor Fiona Stanley has expressed deep sadness and shame after Fiona Stanley Hospital cancelled a grand round presentation featuring Australian-Palestinian doctors discussing healthcare challenges in Gaza. The event, originally scheduled for September 2024, was intended to provide a platform for clinicians to share their experiences, but was ultimately deemed “beyond what was intended” for a medical education forum by hospital executives.
The cancellation has sparked accusations of censorship and double standards, with Dr. Samera Mustafa, one of the doctors involved, pointing to a recent talk at Royal Perth Hospital by an Israeli surgeon detailing the October 7th Hamas attacks which received important media coverage. Professor Stanley, whose name the hospital bears, stated she was “deeply, deeply sad” and felt a sense of personal responsibility, questioning what her support for the hospital now represents given the decision. “I felt sick in my stomach… I was even thinking at the time of saying, ’take the name away’. I mean, what do I stand for? I stand for humanity, particularly for children,” she said.
According to a statement from South Metropolitan Health Service, which manages the hospital, the grand round was to be a discussion of the challenges clinicians face providing care in extreme environments. Though, the health service executive steadfast the presentation’s content exceeded the scope of a medical education forum.Professor Stanley contacted the hospital to protest the cancellation, receiving assurances the event would be reinstated, but reports that “nothing has happened.”
Dr. Mustafa,speaking anonymously due to fears of professional repercussions,highlighted a perceived disparity in treatment. “I am working as a doctor within [this system],and I’m not allowed to talk because they said it was too political,” she said. “Ther is a huge disparity here.” The incident raises concerns about the space for open discussion of politically sensitive topics within Western Australia’s public healthcare system and the potential for silencing medical professionals sharing experiences from conflict zones.
