I agree Hous and Sanika is a UK citizen since she was born there...Double standard in my book refusing Sanika her treatment.. Niamorkono. On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 5:21 PM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > If that girl called Malala could be flown out of her country to UK for > treatment , why not this poor baby? Double standard isn't it ? > hous > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [log in to unmask] > To: GAMBIA-L ** > Sent: Mon, Mar 25, 2013 8:15 am > Subject: [G_L] Immigrant baby in Britain refused operation to prevent > paralysis > > Immigrant baby in Britain refused operation to prevent paralysis By Joan > Smith > 25 March 2013 > > Eight-month-old Sanika Ahmed from Portsmouth, England has been denied > National Health Service (NHS) treatment because of her parents’ immigrant > status. Sanika has Erb’s Palsy, also known as Brachial Plexus Paralysis, > which is a condition mainly caused by trauma during birth. It can affect > all five primary nerves that supply movement and feeling to the arms and > can lead to partial or complete paralysis. > > Early intervention is crucial, as treatment in the first year can have a > significant impact on recovery. Sanika’s parents have been told that if she > does not receive treatment before the age of nine months, she will be > permanently paralysed in her arm. > > Sanika was born at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth and referred > to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Middlesex in July and > October 2012 for an operation to restore movement in her arm. She was > receiving physiotherapy in the meantime. > > The Ahmeds were contacted last November and asked for proof they were > entitled to treatment by the National Health Service. Muhammad Ahmed had > been working legally in the UK since July 2008 on a work permit, but the > hospital withdrew all treatment after it discovered the permit had expired > in August 2009. Sanika’s parents have applied to stay permanently in > Britain, but with the hearing not set until next month, it will be too late > to save Sanika from being permanently paralysed. > > The RNOH claims, “In February 2013, we received a letter from Mr. Ahmed’s > legal representatives regarding this matter and we replied offering to > treat Sanika as a private patient. We received no reply to this offer.” > > Private treatment for Erb’s Palsy runs into the tens of thousands of > pounds, so none but the rich could afford such treatment. > > Sanika’s mother, Syeda, commented, “I was shocked and I was crying when I > was told because they had already begun treating my baby and suddenly it > stopped. I can’t believe they have denied the treatment for my baby. An > operation has to be done now before it is too late. > > “We have been given advice from a Bangladeshi specialist and from a > specialist here [in the UK], and they all say that if Sanika does not have > an operation in the next month, she will be paralysed for life in her arm. > > “Sanika is slowly, slowly getting paralysed and it is very upsetting for > all our family. It is not easy to look after Sanika and I have to watch her > all the time because if she falls she cannot get up by herself. > > “Sanika cannot sit properly because she cannot balance. One person has to > be with her almost all of the time. It is very difficult,” Syeda concluded. > > The family’s solicitor, Patrick Oliver, stated, “Our immediate concern is > to challenge the decision to refuse medical treatment because time is > running out for Sanika … Sanika was born in the UK, yet she is a victim of > injustice and unfairness. She is not a ‘health tourist’ and treatment that > has already started in the UK should continue in the UK.” > > This was in reference to the government’s recent crackdown on the rights > of immigrants to access the NHS and the divisive campaign to label them as > “health tourists,” despite them working and living in the UK. Such language > by the government and media is used to scapegoat some of the most > vulnerable sections of society for the NHS crisis—one imposed by the ruling > elite through draconian cuts to funding, attacks on health workers’ jobs, > terms and conditions, and privatisation. > > If it suits the interests of the British ruling elite, the government and > media will not hesitate to cynically preach the virtues of human rights > when similar incidents occur in other countries. And the resources can be > found when it suits the government’s propaganda war. > > Take the case of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who > was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan in October 2012 for campaigning for the > right of girls to education. The British government launched a media blitz, > flying her to the UK, where she underwent hours of surgery at a top NHS > hospital to repair the damage caused by a bullet that grazed her brain. > > This week, Malala started school at the private Edgbaston High School for > girls in Birmingham and is expected to secure residence in the UK, as her > father, Ziauddin, has secured a post with the Pakistani Consulate in > Birmingham. The same courtesy should be immediately extended to Sanika > Ahmed as a matter of course... > > Share this article: > > - Facebook<http://facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2013%2F03%2F25%2Fpara-m25.html&t=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site> > - Twitter<http://twitter.com/home?status=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site:%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2013%2F03%2F25%2Fpara-m25.html> > - Digg<http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&bodytext=&tags=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2013%2F03%2F25%2Fpara-m25.html&title=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site> > - Reddit<http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2013%2F03%2F25%2Fpara-m25.html&title=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site> > - Delicious<http://delicious.com/post?v=2¬es=&tags=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2013%2F03%2F25%2Fpara-m25.html&title=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site> > - StumbleUpon<http://stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/25/para-m25.html&title=Immigrant%20baby%20in%20Britain%20refused%20operation%20to%20prevent%20paralysis%20-%20World%20Socialist%20Web%20Site> > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤