Iranian infant to be allowed into US for surgery

Baby Fatemah's family had decided they did not want her to have surgery in her birth country due to concerns about the quality of medical services.

New York, Feb 4: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that a four-month-old Iranian infant banned from entering the United States for life-saving heart surgery under President Donald Trump's order will now be allowed to travel to New York for the emergency procedure.

Cuomo announced on Friday evening that Manhattan's Mount Sinai hospital will perform the surgery at no cost. Last weekend, the baby girl's family tried to enter the country with a tourist visa through Portland, Oregon. But they were abruptly turned back as natives of one of seven Muslim-majority countries whose citizens are banned under the president's executive order.

[Iranian infant's surgery in US cancelled due to Trump travel ban]

Private funds will cover travel costs for the infant and her family, as well as their New York stay. Cuomo worked with the international refugee assistance project to secure the waiver of Trump's order.

Baby Fatemah and her family were supposed to fly in for an appointment for a surgical consultation at Oregon Health and Science University,but they were not able to finish their trip because of Trump's executive order on immigration.

Fatemah's family had decided they did not want her to have surgery in her birth country due to concerns about the quality of medical services.

[Iranian infant's surgery in US cancelled due to Trump travel ban]-/international/iranian-infant-s-surgery-us-cancelled-due-trump-travel-ban-2337347.html

Trump last week signed a sweeping executive order to suspend the arrival of refugees and impose tough new controls on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

PTI