Child Dies from Meningitis after Northern Hospitals Refuse to Treat Him
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Two years-old Momen Khaled al-Mohammed died on Tuesday from Meningitis after several Tripoli and northern hospitals refused to treat him because his family could not afford the cost of the care, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.
"The child's parents went from one hospital to another but they were turned down for not being able to bear the cost of the treatment,” the NNA explained.
Momen, who hails from Borj al-Arab town in the northern city of Akkar, was buried on Tuesday afternoon.
During the funeral, the head of the town's municipality Aref Shokheidem urged the Ministry of Public Health to “launch a probe to look into the northern hospitals' rejection to admit Momen”.
"People in charge of these hospitals lack humanitarian values,” he expressed.
This incidence comes after Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil announced on Monday that hospitals will stop treating patients at the ministry's cost because “efforts to issue a decree in this regard could not be reached”.
On Tuesday, however, Khalil stated that the ministry will resume covering these expenses, calling for “assigning financial limits and a budget for hospitalization at the MOPH”.
19 February 2013, 23:10
27
What a shame. What a loss. God help his family.
Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil announced on Monday that hospitals will stop treating patients at the ministry's cost! What if it was his son? Why did it take the dead of a baby for this government to change mind? Shame!
19 February 2013, 23:31
05
Real professionals and humanitarians in those hospitals. My advice even if you have the money, run away. Poor child. In the USA would never happen and if it did, the parents would be millionaires after this tragedy.
20 February 2013, 17:13
01
Please provide a link FT. Not only do hospitals get sued as JC suggested, but people in charge will get charged with neglect and manslaughter and serve JAIL TIME.
20 February 2013, 00:00
17
And they wonder how people stop believing in the institutions of government and civil society and become susceptible to extremist ideologies. What would you do if he was your son, brother, nephew, …?
20 February 2013, 00:05
14
Poor kid. This is the responsibility of the Health Ministry. In Lebanon patients are supposed to show funds to cover their treatment unless it is a case of emergency. A meningitis case can be deceiving, especially in kids who are too young to explain what they are feeling, and it might look like high fever caused by the flu. Hospitals might not accept him because they would not deem it urgent. Had the Heath Ministry not issue their decree, he would've been accepted. The parents have grounds for a lawsuit against the hospitals and the government. In reality if this was a viral meningitis, there is really not much anyone can do. Children exhibit non specific symptoms and when symptoms become obvious to seek medical care, it is usually too late to avert permanent damage or death. May he rest in peace.
20 February 2013, 00:57
02
and you ask for the lebanese dispora to return to lebanon? what i bloody joke.
20 February 2013, 00:58
02
Disgusting as many rich individuals and also association from Tripoli could have saved the child.
Would have participated.
Nothing to be proud of .
20 February 2013, 02:05
00
What is M 14 & M 8 are going to say to the poor parents ,shame on the hospital & its staff for letting this boy die ,where is Asir the low life ,where is Hassan the lair .My prayers are with this boy’s family ,rest in peace little brother ..
20 February 2013, 12:02
03
AL kafi you words are true all you stated have children and shame on that kind of treatment where parents are turned away with the sick children due to not being able to pay. Very sad story Allah yarhamoor. Healthcare world wide should be a number one issue for all parents. No child in any country should be turned away from any hospital point blank.
20 February 2013, 12:06
01
British Lebanese does Lebanon even have such a thing as legal aid. Can anyone answer this for me please thanks.
20 February 2013, 12:08
01
Apologies computer froze as comments enter three times ,..,lol it wasn't my nails I swear.
20 February 2013, 15:25
01
what has this minister of health done to make things evolve? nothing, not even the beginning of a discussion... he should be ashamed to be at the head of this ministry.
public hospitals at least should be compelled to accept anyone disregarding their bank account! it s call humanity... but in leabanon bank accounts are more important than human beings...
it s a shame !
20 February 2013, 15:50
01
we are dying on the streets, we are dying from the cold without energy.
we are dying without electricity, no law on the streets, kidnapping everywhere, billions stolen from the government by politicians, enough to make beirut look better than dubai, no jobs for people, we are not even getting visas to work outside and thus:
we worry who is shiites, who is sunni, who is maronite, who is druze?
we all live together, and thus one word from these criminals separates us for nothing.... have you taken a moment to think how many millions and billions the people ruling us since the end of the civil war has made and how much we have lost as people?
maybe it is time to act against them all, maybe it is time we either die rather than living like sheep?
20 February 2013, 19:22
01
IV antibiotics to treat the child should be given regardless of cost, to those hospitals I say you FAILED your oath to treat all sick people regardless, and you FAILED the people of Lebanon, this is absolutely disgusting.
21 February 2013, 07:20
01
What kind of DOCTORS are these? What kind of health minister we've got. All are careless devils. All I can say TFEH
22 February 2013, 02:23
00
True world wide many nations spent more money on warfare I am talking in the billions than on healthcare isn't that sad.
The dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid. The human population seems to be losing so much human life from all corners of the world due to war, poverty,natural disasters, lack of health care from governments. The list goes on World wide. Beginning to wonder how much longer for the human race is headed in a very bad direction. Truly sad
11 June 2013, 12:32
00
When someone writes an article he/she retains the image of a user in his/her mind that how a user can know
it. Therefore that's why this piece of writing is perfect. Thanks!
