Ministry should provide and set a particular timeframe for a periodic review to modify the minimum wage. The MoL should also take actions and measures to provide full empowerment to women to participate in the labour force and exercise their right to work without restriction, obstruction or discrimination on the basis of gender. In addition to its role of control over the compliance of establishments, the MoL needs to safeguard and enforce laws and regulations on the protection of the rights of Palestinian children. While complying with the constraints set on child labour under the Labour Law, the Ministry should impose punitive measures and take actions against any noncompliant establishments. Inspection and control over various establishments will also be boosted. 2.2.2 Right to health Many regulations on the right to health were enacted, including amendments to the Public Health Law as well as laws on tobacco, narcotic drugs and agriculture. Most notable was the Law by Decree on Medical and Health Protection and Safety,13 which lays out extensive provisions on accountability for medical malpractice. It also provides for establishing a permanent higher health committee on accountability for medical malpractice, creating a national register of medical malpractice, documenting cases of medical malpractice, providing insurance against risks of medical malpractice, and setting up a compensation fund for victims of medical accidents. The government also amended a set of legislative acts with a bearing on the right to health. For example, the Law by Decree No. 26 of 2018 Amending the Law by Decree No. 18 of 2015 on the Combatting of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances provides for incriminating some acts which were not considered to be criminal under the previous law by decree, including abuse, dealing with, and promotion of drugs. In relation to control over food supplies, the Law by Decree No. 27 of 2018 Amending the Consumer Consumption Law No. 21 of 2005 imposes a number of penalties on several activities, which involve dealing in foodstuffs that fail to meet health standards, damaging human health. According to Article 2 of the Presidential Decree dated 26 June 2007, all the Gaza Strip population access government health services, particularly health insurance fees, free of charge. However, in 2017, the Gaza-based MoH collected NIS 31,267,882, including NIS 9,578,795 generated from health insurance. In early August 2018, the Union of Private Hospitals and Medical Centres, and Medical Association at a later stage, announced they would no longer accept private health insurance cards. As both organisations put it, the Consortium 13 For more information about these regulations, see State of Palestine, Bureau of Legal Counsel and Legislation, Palestinian Official Gazette, Issue 147, 23 July 2018. Executive Summary 2018 25