http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4816152.stm Last Updated: Friday, 17 March 2006, 10:01 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version Hospital holds baby for payment Israel's justice ministry is deciding whether to prosecute a hospital that held a new born baby for two months as a "guarantee" until a bill was paid. The ministry intervened last week to force Jerusalem's al-Muqaddas hospital to return the girl to her mother, an Israeli Arab married to a Palestinian. The hospital said it was not certain Israel's national insurance would cover the $2,150 (£1,250) treatment bill. The mother, an Israeli citizen, gave birth to triplets two months ago. The births were premature and the babies required extensive hospital treatment. Israeli Arabs, Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent, often complain of discrimination by Israeli institutions. 'Normal procedure' Because the children's father was a Palestinian resident of the West Bank, the hospital demanded payment of the bill as it was not certain of recovering the costs from the National Insurance Institute (NII). When the woman said she was unable to pay, the hospital released only two of the babies, keeping the third as a "guarantee". The baby kept by the hospital was not in need of medical treatment. The mother left with the babies and last week and approached the justice ministry. "We looked into the matter with the hospital," the ministry's head of legal aid, Eyal Globus, told Haaretz. "And it turned out that things were exactly as the mother said they were - the third baby was being held there." Mr Globus was told by the hospital director that this was the normal procedure for ensuring payment. The ministry ordered the release of the child and said it would ensure the insurance fund reimbursed the hospital. The woman's family told Haaretz that she was two other Israeli hospitals had turned her away because she could not pay a deposit of $72,500 (£40,000) before being admitted. ********** "Mr Globus was told by the hospital director that this was the normal procedure for ensuring payment. " What a fucked up system they have holding a baby as ransom for payment, in the uk the health system is free, i am disgusted by any country that would hold a new born baby as ransom for hospital fees. If the hospital has problems for payment, sue like everybody else, dont hold humans as hostage!!!!!!! I am even more disgusted by the fact it took the so called caring jewish government 2 months!!! to intervene in the matter..... Babies are not bargaining chips for hospitals or governments, if i was the parent of this baby, i would bitch slap every hospital director until the baby was released. I cant help but wonder are they playing favourites if this was a american or british child whose parents had no money instead of a arab child, would they be so quick to hold the baby hostage then.
The hospital fucket up, yet you blame the whole nation for it. You seem to forget that the same hospital is being sued as it did something illegal by Israeli law.
Where did i blame the whole nation for it, please enlighten me oh wise one? I blamed the hospital, and the jewish government for letting it go on for 2 months. If you cant read posts, and by chance your blind, at least get someone to relay the contents more accurately next time to you, before you jump on your pompous high horse. "the same hospital is being sued as it did something illegal by Israeli law" Why did it take 2 months before the jewish government acted, that in itself is criminal & goes against basic human rights laws.
"If you cant read posts, and by chance your blind, at least get someone to relay the contents more accurately next time to you, before you jump on your pompous high horse." Blaming the "jewish" government for a hospital fuckup is exactly what I meant. And you shouldnt be so sensative to critisism. "Why did it take 2 months before the jewish government acted, that in itself is criminal & goes against basic human rights laws" Until the Family reported the case, and an investigation went underway, it took 2 months. Its called burocracy, Im sure you have it in the Uk too.
If the criticism is valid i welcome it, yours was inaccurate. "Until the Family reported the case" What are you telling me these 2 muslims forgot all about there new born baby for 2 months, then suddenly ahmed says to his wife gee whiz the hospital still has our kid, we forgot all about it, we must report it at once!!!!! I put it to you it was because the baby was muslim, that it was held for 2 months, you can not tell me if that baby had been a yank or a pommee the hospital still would have held the baby hostage for payment, there would have been a international incident caused. muslims have rights whether they live in israel or anywhere else.
"What are you telling me these 2 muslims forgot all about there new born baby for 2 months, then suddenly ahmed says to his wife gee whiz the hospital still has our kid, we forgot all about it, we must report it at once!!!!!" Tragic as it may sound, its nobodys fault that it took the family 2 months to gain the initiative to report that fact. Lets hope the Israeli judiciall system will order the hospital to compensate the family. I put it to you it was because the baby was muslim, that it was held for 2 months, you can not tell me if that baby had been a yank or a pommee the hospital still would have held the baby hostage for payment, there would have been a international incident caused. I dont know the case enough to comment on that. Ill have to check other sources other than "BBC".
"Mr Globus was told by the hospital director that this was the normal procedure for ensuring payment. " The hospital is at fault, and if this is normal procedure to hold babies as ransom, then its a case for the united nations human rights department. I think it is shocking that babies are being used this way in a supposed civilised country, i would expect this crap in north korea, or burma or zimbabwe, not israel.
I believe Healthcare is a basic human right and ALL humans should have complete unhindered access to healthcare and all healthcare should be free . This is a freemarket capitalist system in which healthcare and education have been made into lucrative industries where people are charged for their health and education . This type of hostage taking for payment is seen by capitalists as no different from seizing assets for people who have fallen over on debt .
I totally agree, i am sick of drug companies & hospital parasites living off the backs of mankind, but i thought this story took the biscuit hospitals acting as mafia godfathers holding babies as ranson, and its standard policy there. I was under the impression hospitals are supposed to be caring places, not rent a mob, sending out ransom demands out to relatives, if they want to see there family members again. The jews of all people victims of detention camps in germany, should know better than to detain a new born baby over money, if they are so desperate for the money, sue the parents, what did the baby ever do to them, apart from being born.
...born prematurely, I might add. If the hospital hadn't taken her in the first place, they would probably have died. Two other ones turned her away. You are talking about like two people who did the wrong thing, the hospital administrator and the nurse who dealt with the mother.
I wonder if this "holding the baby for ransome" tactic is for all or just those of Arab background. I really wonder if this is a pratices that applied to all or just Arabs. Reading the article I have to believe it's just applied to Arabs. I hate to think that this is the case.
Since the mother is an Israeli national why was there any question about whether she and her children were covered by the national health system?
Wow, just sad. This true story tops any penny-pinching Jew joke I've heard before. Say all, why do Jews have large noses? Cause the air is free. Bada bing! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I'll just have to send this link to anyone whenever those types of jokes may arise. - N
