The tragedies that are falling upon the Lebanese from the health care system continue. The faces of corruption that we have to deal with every day are the reason this revolution should not die until the demands of reforms are met.
And when a toddler with very serious injuries get refused by hospitals, and a 3-month young baby dies at the door of a hospital that refuses to treat him, the outrage of the nation heightens.
The toddler Yehya Kabani, 1 year and 6 months young, reportedly fell three stories and was refused by hospitals. That despite his very serious injuries, especially at the level of the brain and skull, as reported by the Secretary-General of the Red Cross, George Kittaneh.
According to Kittaneh, this general refusal was due to the fact that hospitals in the north do not have a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This necessitated admission of baby Yehya to the Islamic Hospital in preparation for his transfer to Beirut.
That was not the only intervention needed for Baby Yehya to receive urgent medical care. The intervention of Mohamed Ayyad, Media Advisor to the Minister of Public Health, was also required next for the child to be rushed to the American University of Beirut hospital.
That’s after two hours from the reported fall, and many hospitals refusing to admit him… Today, a 3-month baby got refused treatment at a hospital because, according to his parents, they didn’t have $500 to pay in advance. Baby Elia Faraj died in the arms of his mother…
The hospital, on the other hand, released a statement saying that the infant Faraj has been in the hospital for 12 hours in the PICU hours before he passed away.
“I solemnly promise that I will, to the best of my ability, serve humanity, caring for the sick, promoting good health, and alleviating pain and suffering.”
This is part of the Hippocratic oath that Lebanese doctors take upon graduating from medical school. This summarizes the duty and mission of these professionals who have been struggling in a corrupt healthcare system in our country.
Healthcare in Lebanon is becoming increasingly hard to come by. What is a citizen’s right has become a privilege. Most people cannot afford it despite some attempts by the government to regulate expenses.
Factors include high prices that left more than half of the nation uninsured and the serious lack of medical supplies. This, in turn, has led to many hospitals denying access to uninsured patients and also turning insured patients away for shortages of hospital beds, medicine, and staff.
The inability of hospitals in Lebanon to admit patients due to any reason is unacceptable. Turning away patients from hospitals is unacceptable, let alone wounded people in serious conditions.
Hospitals have no other purpose than that of providing medical care to those in need of it. If that is not provided then what’s their use? Until when Lebanon will keep witnessing deaths for lack of hospital’s treatment or admission? Until when enough is enough?
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