On Sunday evening, 1-year-old Yasmine Al-Masri passed away in Northern Lebanon after 4 hospitals refused to admit her.
The Ministry of Public Health announced that it has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the toddler’s death.
The child’s grandfather reported to Annahar that she was first sent to the Islamic Hospital in Tripoli, then to the Nini Hospital. Both didn’t receive her as they told the parents that they didn’t have a pediatrics department.
Afterward, she was taken to Haykel Hospital where the parents were asked for $1,000 in down payment. Not holding the amount, the family went to another hospital in the North where the doctor requested to transfer the girl to Beirut to receive treatment as the hospital was not equipped to take care of her.
The family’s last stop was at Al Saydeh Hospital where the doctor informed them that she wouldn’t make it to the capital. The child passed away shortly after.
Yasmine became another victim of the economic crisis that left hospitals unable to receive patients due to the lack of medication and staff.
Yasmine’s family and some medical directors of the concerned hospitals are set to go to the Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday to help with the investigation.