Last week, Al-Watan newspaper published a tragic story of an Indian worker who had had his right hand cut off in an accident. The man worked in a cement company in Riyadh and when the accident happened, his co-workers called an ambulance and also kept his hand in cold storage. What then happened is a disgrace.
The ambulance took the man to five different well-known private hospitals. On one pretense or another, each of them refused to accept a patient who was clearly in need of medical help in what was equally clearly a medical emergency. The company employing the man was willing to pay the hospital expenses and after inexcusably long negotiations, one hospital finally agreed to accept the patient. By that time, however, it was too late to reattach the man’s hand — which should have been possible had there been no delay.
As if this were not bad enough, there is also the well-publicized case of a hospital throwing an Indonesian AIDS patient into the street, claiming that the hospital was not equipped to handle such cases. According to the Kingdom’s law, hospitals must accept patients whether they are Saudis or non-Saudis and the cost of emergency care is borne by the Ministry of Health.
We often read in newspapers that private hospitals have complained to the Ministry of Health for deferring payment for treating emergency cases. One claim against the ministry over a seven-year period reached SR20 million.
Normally, the ministry allows a Saudi patient one day in a private hospital for emergency treatment. However, sometimes a patient needs more than a single day of emergency care. The government hospital to which patients are transferred is usually full and so the patient is put on a waiting list. The patient thus remains in the private hospital for days at the ministry’s expense. Private hospitals always reject non-Saudis because their sponsors refuse to pay the medical expenses, which, under the law, sponsors must pay.
Many innocent people have been victims in these circumstances. Who is to blame? Should we blame the private hospital for not performing the duties it pledged to perform. Should we blame the Ministry of Health for not reimbursing the private hospital for emergency care and treatment? Or should we blame sponsors who refuse to pay the medical bills of their employees? Should we blame the authorities for not punishing those who violate the law?
Medical treatment in this country seems to be on the verge of closing all doors to the poor. Is this in keeping with our religion and our Islamic traditions? What is the solution?
