Health Ministry Contract Axed after Hospital Refuses to Admit Cancer-Hit Kid

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour on Wednesday scrapped the contract signed between the ministry and Tripoli's al-Nini Hospital, which has allegedly refused to admit a child suffering from Leukemia, or blood cancer.

“Following investigations by the Ministry of Health into the case of the minor girl (Tala Jomaa) who was denied entry by the al-Nini Hospital in Tripoli, and after hearing the testimonies of the hospital's administration, the toddler's parents and several witnesses, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour decided to cancel the contract signed between the ministry and al-Nini Hospital,” the minister's press office said.

According to the office's statement, Abou Faour sent a memo to the hospital's administration, warning that any such incident will be referred to the public prosecution in the future.

The minister also called on all hospitals in the country to “fully abide by the stipulations of the contracts signed between them and the Ministry of Health” and to “totally refrain from denying entry to patients.”

He urged them to end any discrimination among patients “according to their financial status or their medical insurers.”

Moreover, Abou Faour warned hospitals against charging patients illegal fees “under pain of administrative and legal punitive measures,” stressing that he will not be lenient in “protecting the natural right of all citizens to medical care and hospitalization and in preserving their dignity, safety and health.”

After several media outlets drew attention to her case on Tuesday, 5-year-old Tala was admitted to the al-Nini Hospital following the minister's intervention.

A statement issued by the hospital on Tuesday said Tala had recently spent 16 days at the hospital and that she was granted full medical care at the expense of the Ministry of Health.

“Following the doctor's approval, she was discharged from hospital on May 10, 2014,” the hospital said.

“Tala was brought on Tuesday to take a kidrolase (intramuscular) injection and this treatment does not require hospital admission according to the attending physician. The hospital's administration did not refuse to let her in and she received treatment for 'half a day',” the statement added.

But the child's father hit back at the statement, describing the hospital's explanation as “inaccurate.”

“The administration said it would not let the child in … except after the payment of $2,000,” the father said.

Y.R.

M.T.