Indian child held hostage by Saudi hospital

Dubai, Dec 23: An Indian woman and her Pakistani husband in Riyadh have complained that Al-Salama public hospital here is refusing to give them their baby until they pay their bill.

''The hospital refuses to give the baby without the full settlement of the bill,'' said Tahir Akram Mohammed, the 35-year-old Pakistani father of Shan, who was born prematurely on November 14, but is now healthy enough to be discharged.

''I am a driver who works for Saudi Riyal 1,200 a month. I am simply unable to pay such a huge bill.'' When Tahir's wife Rehana, who is from Hyderabad, India, was released, the hospital bill was SR5,940, of which the husband paid SR4,540. Shan remained at the hospital for further treatment. By the time the couple came to the hospital to pick up their child on December 10, the bill had shot up to SR10,732 plus the remainder of the first bill, equivalent to over ten months' worth of Tahir's salary.

He says that the hospital is only allowing them to visit the child for half an hour at 2000 hrs every day so that the mother can breast-feed, the Arab News reported.

A Jeddah-based lawyer, Alshareef Mohammed Al-Abdali, pointed out that the law forbids hospitals from holding newborns to ransom for nonpayment of bills.

Tahir says his request for help was turned down by the Pakistan Embassy as his wife was an Indian ''and when my wife went to the Indian mission seeking relief, she was refused help because she is married to a Pakistani.''

UNI