Dubai: A government hospital turned away a 20-month-old baby girl taken there for emergency treatment, because her unemployed father did not have Dh1,000 to pay as a deposit.
Farah was taken to the Dubai Hospital by her father Nabeel on Wednesday night. She had been ill for the past month and was taken to Dubai Hospital on several occasions. On Wednesday, her condition worsened and she needed emergency care at around 10pm.
Temperature
Nabeel said her temperature shot up and she lost consciousness. "My wife and I rushed her to Dubai Hospital and the doctor at the emergency ward said she needed to be admitted immediately to the hospital," the father said.
Nabeel said the doctor asked him to go to the cashier to pay the fees and make arrangements for the admission. "I went to the reception and to the cashier who refused to admit my baby till I paid Dh1,000 which I did not have," he said.
The father told the cashier he would bring the money early in the morning, but the cashier refused.
Adamant cashier
Nabeel said the doctor tried to convince the cashier to let the baby be admitted and the payment could be taken afterwards, but the cashier refused.
"The cashier told the doctor to sign an undertaking that the baby would be admitted on her responsibility, but the doctor said no," he said.
"The doctor asked the cashier to take any ID from me but he refused and said that there are instructions from the administration that a Dh1,000 deposit has to be paid. No ID would be accepted instead of the deposit whatever the reason," Nabeel said.
The father said the doctor asked the nurse at the emergency ward to keep the baby. However, the nurse said there was no space at the ward.
Nabeel tried to negotiate with the cashier from 10pm to 3.30am till he agreed to take his driving licence while he arranged for the money.
The father said his daughter was very sick and was kept in the isolation ward. "My daughter was admitted to the isolation ward as doctors suspected she had an infectious disease,'' he said.
"My baby has a health card issued from the same hospital but it can be used only when she is discharged. I could get a 50 per cent discount on the bill because of the card."
Nabeel, who lost his job recently after his company closed, said he borrowed money from a friend to pay the deposit.
Expats must pay first
Hospital officials said that if an expatriate patient has a health card issued by the hospital itself and does not need to be admitted then he has to pay a Dh60 fee for a visit. Additional fees are charged if medicines are needed.
"If an expatriate patient needs to be admitted a deposit Dh 1,000 must be paid before admitting the patient, an official said. He stressed that there are instructions from the hospital administration not to accept ID from patients. They have to pay the deposit.
"If they have a health card issued from here, we will charge them only 50 per cent of the total bill. If they have no health card they have to pay the full amount," he said.
The official said that if the hospital bill is less than Dh 1,000 the rest of the money will be refunded.
The official said Farah was admitted and her father asked for a bed in the room for her mother and they will be charged extra for that.
Health card fees at Dubai Hospital
For Emiratis the health card is valid for four years and cost children up to the age of nine Dh25. The cost from age 10-17 years is Dh50 and from age 18 years and above is Dh100. For other nationalities the health card is valid only for a year and costs Dh100 for children up to nine years. The cost from age 10-17 years is Dh200 and over 17 years is Dh300.
