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Saudi hospital keeps newborns for unpaid bill |
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Middleeast News
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Tuesday, 15 September 2009 13:09 |
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A private hospital in Saudi Arabia has barred the parents of two four-month old infants from taking their babies home for failure to pay medical fees
, local daily the Saudi Gazette reported on Tuesday.
The hospital has told them they cannot see their babies until the 50,000 riyal ($13,300) bill is paid in full. The father Abdul Malik says he and his wife do not dare to go to the hospital in case they themselves are detained, the newspaper said.
"My wife gave birth to twin boys when she was seven months pregnant, and they were put in incubators for two months. But then the hospital demanded payment 90,000 (riyals) for delivery costs," Abdul Malik was quoted as saying.
The hospital reduced the bill to 50,000 riyals, the paper said.
"The hospital is providing the babies with full medical care, whether feeding, vaccinations, incubation or cleaning," a manager from the hospital was quoted as saying.
"We have also called the security authorities and written to social homes, all of whom have refused to take in the infants unless there is approval from the Emir's office in Makkah."
The hospital added it was handling the problems "with as much compassion as possible".
The Saudi Gazette reported on Monday a private hospital in Jeddah has refused to return the body of a Yemeni girl who died of swine flu to her family until they pay 600,000 riyals in treatment fees.
Saudi’s National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has said that the hospital’s refusal to return the girl’s body is illegal.
Maktoob
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