Sick Briton denied care in UK

To fly to wife’s home in Lanka:

A desperately ill and destitute British man has been refused vital treatment in his native UK - unless he pays Bahraini Dinar 82,500 up front. Mohammed Abdul Aziz is to fly instead to his wife Mariam’s native Sri Lanka, where she says he will at least be among family if he dies.

An appeal had gone out to help get Abdul Aziz back to the UK for immediate spinal treatment to relieve unbearable back pain and to hopefully help him regain use of his limbs.

The Liverpool-born 67-year-old has been in a ward at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) since September, following a stroke caused by nerve compression in his spine.

Last month his condition deteriorated, leaving him paralysed from the waist down and without full use of his arms. Doctors and friends feared that he could die without the surgery and the specialist follow-up treatment available in the UK.

Two societies pledged to cover flight costs and a Bahraini businessman donated BD500, to help get the couple to the UK.

But all hopes were dashed when he received a letter from the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK demanding a deposit of Pounds 110,000 (BD82,500) before he could be admitted.

The letter informed him that because he has been a resident in Bahrain for the last 30 years he is not entitled to treatment under the UK National Health Service and would have to be admitted as a private patient.

“When I received this letter I cried and cried because I never expected they would say this,” his wife told Gulf Daily News.

“I am now going to take Mohammed to Sri Lanka because treatment won’t be so expensive there.

The organisation has opened a fund for people wishing to give donations and those wishing to help should contact Mohammed Zuhair on 17537373. [email protected]

Gulf Daily News