Imtiaz Ahmad, a Dubai resident since 1974, lies in a private hospital in Sharjah, treading a fine line between life and death.
Following a cardiac arrest three weeks ago, the 71-year-old Pakistani father of two now suffers from haematoma (accumulation of blood in the tissues). Treatment often involves draining the accumulated blood.
According to Humaira Saeed, the patient’s daughter, treatment for such a condition can only be performed by a vascular surgeon, but the hospital doesn’t have one.
“In Dubai, there is only one vascular surgeon. And he works in Rashid Hospital. I went to Rashid Hospital and handed over my father’s reports,” she says. “A few days later, I was informed by the hospital where my dad is confined now that Rashid Hospital did get back to them.”
But Humaira’s joy was short-lived. She was told that due to lack of space in the ICU, Rashid Hospital had declined treating her father.
FINANCIAL ISSUE
“How can a hospital turn down a patient? Even if my father’s case is terminal, shouldn’t a doctor fight for a patient’s life till their final breath?” she asks.
Although finance has been an issue, Humaira hasn’t given up hope. “I have a pending bill of Dh47,000 with the current hospital, but I’ve already paid them Dh100,000 over the last 19 days. I can assure the hospitals that we will be able to pay their bills. Should my father be left to die because of a financial issue?”
While the hospital in Sharjah has declined to comment on the matter, Dr Younis Kazim, Medical Director and Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Rashid Hospital, says, “Our vascular surgeon and intervention radiologist have both reviewed the case and the CT scan and have clarified that there is no major vascular lesion; the patient has fluid collection which can be drained. Secondly, due to the high volume of acute cases we receive, all our ICU beds are occupied; therefore, we cannot accommodate this patient who is already being taken care of in another hospital.”
Source : Gulf news