Indian child held hostage by Saudi hospital

[Cheetah786]

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Dubai, Dec 23: An Indian woman and her Pakistani husband in Riyadh have complained that Al-Salama public hospital here is refusing to give them their baby until they pay their bill.

''The hospital refuses to give the baby without the full settlement of the bill,'' said Tahir Akram Mohammed, the 35-year-old Pakistani father of Shan, who was born prematurely on November 14, but is now healthy enough to be discharged.

''I am a driver who works for Saudi Riyal 1,200 a month. I am simply unable to pay such a huge bill.'' When Tahir's wife Rehana, who is from Hyderabad, India, was released, the hospital bill was SR5,940, of which the husband paid SR4,540. Shan remained at the hospital for further treatment. By the time the couple came to the hospital to pick up their child on December 10, the bill had shot up to SR10,732 plus the remainder of the first bill, equivalent to over ten months' worth of Tahir's salary.

He says that the hospital is only allowing them to visit the child for half an hour at 2000 hrs every day so that the mother can breast-feed, the Arab News reported.

A Jeddah-based lawyer, Alshareef Mohammed Al-Abdali, pointed out that the law forbids hospitals from holding newborns to ransom for nonpayment of bills.

Tahir says his request for help was turned down by the Pakistan Embassy as his wife was an Indian ''and when my wife went to the Indian mission seeking relief, she was refused help because she is married to a Pakistani.''

http://news.oneindia.in/2006/12/23/c...-hospital.html

Almost aLL THE PAKSITANI embassies i have visited are worth less.they don't help pakistanies in any country for any reason.most the idots working there have jobs cause they knew some one shame.These basterds in saudia should be fired.but i guess that not going to happen as they prolly friend of some genral or politicians.

[A.Rahman]

Almost aLL THE PAKSITANI embassies i have visited are worth less.they don't help pakistanies in any country for any reason.most the idots working there have jobs cause they knew some one shame.These basterds in saudia should be fired.but i guess that not going to happen as they prolly friend of some genral or politicians.

Now replace this paksitani guy with some gora; The whole world would have been jumping up & down.

[Lahori paa jee]

this is quite an interesting story.

I just want to ask of just one example of a Pakistani Gov/Private hospital who would let the patients go without paying the hospital charges. Then why are we complaining if Suadi hospital has done what it should

[TomCat111]

Had this happened in the US, the hospital officials would have already been arrested, and also sued too.

[Cheetah786]

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this is quite an interesting story.

I just want to ask of just one example of a Pakistani Gov/Private hospital who would let the patients go without paying the hospital charges. Then why are we complaining if Suadi hospital has done what it should

what is this a NON MUSLIM COUNTRY helping the Arab women paa jee what a shame.would u like to answer that one.paa jee

Israeli ministry investigates baby hostage case


THE GUARDIAN, JERUSALEM
Saturday, Mar 18, 2006, Page 6
Israel's justice ministry is deciding whether to prosecute a Jerusalem hospital that held a new-born baby for two months as collateral because its mother was unable to pay her bill.

The ministry intervened last week to force the Moqassed hospital in East Jerusalem to give the infant to its mother and is examining whether to charge it with false imprisonment.

The mother, who is Arab but has not been named, gave birth to triplets prematurely in January. As the children's father is a Palestinian resident of the West Bank, the hospital demanded payment of 10,000 shekels (US$2,120) because it said it was not certain of recovering the costs of treating the babies from Israel's national insurance fund even though their mother is a legal resident of Jerusalem.

When the woman said she was unable to pay, the hospital said it would keep one of the three children, a girl, as a "guarantee" until the money was found.

Earlier this month the parents went to the justice ministry. The head of its legal aid office, Eyal Globus, said he investigated their claim and found it to be correct.

"It turned out that things were exactly as the mother said they were; the third baby was being held," he told Haaretz newspaper.

"This is not the first time that the hospital has kept babies as hostages for payment of debts," he added.

The ministry ordered the release of the baby and said it would ensure the insurance fund reimbursed the hospital. The hospital declined to comment.

The woman's family told Haaretz that she was turned away from two other Israeli hospitals because she was unable to pay a deposit of about US$70,000 before being admitted.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../18/2003297978