Heard on the radio last night.  A 39 year old terminally ill woman originally from Ghana has been forcibly removed from her hospital bed and deported back to Ghana!   This poor woman has been in the country for 5 years on a student visa.  Her visa apparently expired last year, but to do this is disgusting!  She requires dialasis 3 times a week and other medication, which she says she will not be able to afford back in Ghana, so she has been given a death sentence by the immigration department!  She was fit and healthy when she came to this country, so why can we not pay for her treatment and for her to die in dignity and without too much pain??

Sarah.

It is bad but she is not legally entitled to free health care in ths country and should pay. She cannot afford private health care and so what else can be done ? There are people who are entitled to free health care and if she was given treatment then somebody else may well loose out. Very difficult :(

Sorry this is very sad but if this lady is needing treatment she should have to pay for it. We all pay national insurance for our "free" health care. I dont see why someone can come into the country and assume they are entitled to it to.

Wendy

i'm with you sarah, thats awful. frankly i don't mind paying national insurance to help someone live a bit longer. kidney failure is a horrid way to go and this is very sad. we're supposed to be a free, enlightened country and we won't treat a foreigner? so wrong

So it would then make it 'International Health Service' open to anybody outside of the UK for free treatment and we pay for it making the access to us more difficult putting many people living and enititled to care in the UK lives at risk 

i think if your in this country when you get sick we can't reasonably say "oh sorry, your foreign, you can just bleed to death" or some such. i totally see your point though. i'm actually using my national insurance payments now what with the crohnes disease and am using the nhs (previously i've been very healthy). it's taken them nearly a year to get round to diagnosing me and belive me its been very problematic. so other folk getting to use the system means longer waits, not great for us. however i feel that it's kind of our duty if someone if here. this womans been here 5 years as a student, foreign students basically support the universitys they go to and i'll bet she worked whiles she was here to. why shouldn't she be treated?

Unfortunately millions of pounds are lost by foreign people coming over to this country and taking advantage of the free NHS treatment. Part of why alot of Trusts are in Financial crisis. What they are now having to do is get tough and make sure the people have the means to pay for treatment. We have to get insurance to pay for treatment abroad so why shouldn't it work the other way. I know as have worked closely as an IT Consultant in the finance side of Trusts so know the problems thay have had and why we were providing a way for the better financial management in this and many more areas :)

Her treatment would I should expect cost many thousands of pounds. So it is right that many UK cancer patients would have to go out because of this ? No sorry but I don't think it is fair :)

but if shes been here 5 years shes probably been contributing plenty, why shouldn't she be treated in that case?

How do we know she has been earning ? If she had she sould more than likley have been on the minimum wage and only worked part time hours which would amount to much. She has already had treatment that I can imagine has amounted to thousands of ppounds anyway as she has been on dialysis.

I do sympathise really but let his one through and all it will say to everybody come on free healthcare for everybody.

I saw this poor lady interviewed on my local news last night, she was so dignified and thankful for the help she had already received. She came over on a student visa to learn accounting to give her children a better future but was told her english wasn't good enough so took a cleaning job. That was why her visa was revoked. The place she lives in doesn't even have a hospital, the one in the capital charges 2000-3000 USD per week for treatment. She will be dead within 2 weeks and her children orphaned. Maybe if we could do something abouth the high number of young people on sickness benefits (I know many are genuine:) ) we would have the funds to help on compasionate grounds.

She came over on a student visa to learn accounting to give her children a better future but was told her english wasn't good enough so took a cleaning job. That was why her visa was revoked.

That is the problem , it isn't the light hearted story people often make them out. The girl breached her visa requirements it would happen to you if you were in most other countries.

We are struggling in the country and the line needs to be drawn.

People coming into the country can get english lessons  I believe free or cheaply. It is a two way thing.

The young people on sickness benefits is a disgrace also BUT a different thing.  

We allow people to come into this country then they cant work often but get benefits so this in inself doesn't set much of an example to you up and coming generations.

If it was me half of the immigrants wouldn't be in the UK in the first place.  There has to be a measurable standard that we stick to.

I am sorry but if her english wasn't good enough and then she was not able to study then it is right she has had her visa revoked. She entered the country on a visitors visa and then changed it to try and get on a non university banking course but was refused because of her language difficulties and then got a job as a cleaner so as far as I am aware has never done any studying. It is all well and good to try and make a better life by improving yourself but not at the expense of others who have rights as British Citizens. She also has the right to treatment back home.

A spokesman for Ghana's high commission in London said the country had two fully-equipped hospitals in Accra and further north in Kumasi.

He did concede that access to treatment was costly but said that if Ms Sumani was a member of the Ghana national health insurance scheme she would still receive treatment.

I do feel very sorry for her and her children who are being looked after by other people and have been done for over 5 years whilst she has been here.

i think if your in this country when you get sick we can't reasonably say "oh sorry, your foreign, you can just bleed to death" or some such.

I'm pretty certain that emergency treatment is free to all.  Would be lovely to be able to cover ongoing medical treatment but we're not just talking about one case here but potentially hundreds of thousands so lines have to be drawn. 

Considering the large numbers of perfectly healthy people absconding/disappearing when their asylum applications are refused, I think the immigration service could have used their discretion. Much like the CSA targets rule the day therefore "easy" cases get dealt with first.

Im very surprised at this, the immigration department asking this woman to go back! I thought this country was now a free for all do as you please for all our immigrants!!
Although I feel sorry for this woman, I dont agree she is entitled to endless treatment on the NHS, this is what we pay our taxes for! she could be taking up a bed that an oap is waiting for , for maybe a hip replacement or something! My nanna had to wait ages to get an op for this, despite her working all her life and paying into the system, no sorry I would send her back, I would also send back the majority of our new immigrants!

I am going off subject now but do have a bee in my bonnet over what is going on in this country at the moment, I work for the police and can honestly say we are inundated by Immigrants from poland, africa , afghanistan and god knows where else, all ringing 999 asking for "police help, I need somewhere to live and some food please!!! " its outrageous!
Can you believe twice this week we've had calls on 999 from immigrants saying they have run out of bread could an officer go and get them some ?

This country is a joke! and no Im not PC in the slightest

I forgot to say, if we went to a foreign country doubt we would be offered accomodation and medical treatment! :rolleyes:

ljs i work pt and don't make that much- should i not be treated for my crohes disease? my sis is also working pt at the mo, should she not get anti/post natal care? i feel thats a bit unfair as we've noth worked very hard for our degrees and will probably get good jobs after we're finished properly. The idea is that you get treated and hopefully can add back to the system later. i assume you wouldn't denigh a dying child treatment because they've never paid NI.

rupert i agree that that business with 999 is ridiculous (and dangerous)but that is the few not the many. most immegrants in this country come here to escape horrendous oppression or to find decent work to feed their families. i would hope as enlightened, educated people we can appreciate that as one of the richer nations in the world it might be nice to help look after some of those suffering. and as to "I dont agree she is entitled to endless treatment", shes on kidney dialesis, her treatment is hardly going to be endless, there will be an end and a very unpleasent one for her.

also, "we are inundated by Immigrants from poland, africa , afghanistan and god knows where else", do you mind me asking your original ethnic origin? i don't mean welsh, scottish, english whatever...britain is very much a mongral nation, i have irish, french, italian and apparently an escaped french/african slave pirate in me and i'm as scottish as they come. our culture has been constructed by the people who have come here over the years and it has been enriched and strengthened by it, who's to say our newest immegrants won't do the same?

People in the UK eligible for healthcare should be made to take out private health care. Plain and simple.

How many people can realistically afford this ? I am lucky enough to get it through work but did pay it on my own before and the premiums just for myself were over £100 a month which yes we could afford but many people would not.

Sorry Lucy that was meant to be Ineligible :-)

blue i can barely afford my prescriptions at the moment, the NHS is a blessing and we are very lucky to have it

If you are a student don't you get them free ? :)

i would have to pay then claim them back and it can take months so i don't bother. i also feel that i can scrape together the price (its not the £6 odds, i'm on three different things now so adds up)so i should. there are those far far worse off than me.

I have to say I haven't seen this case but it does sound very sad.That said they do have do draw the line somewhere (shame it hadn't been done a long time ago!).I would not expect to go to another country and get treated for free on their healthcare

Even for going on holiday our holiday insurance is a requirement that entitles us to some/all of the cost treatement should it be needed along with our EHIC card.

Sign up for a pre-paid certificate.  Get a leaflet from a Pharmacy, you can even pick up the leaflet and go outside, phone them pay the £26.00 and be given a number which you give to the pharmacist and this number covers all of your prescription charges for the next 3 months.

You can also purchase a 12 month certificate and pay by monthly direct debit.

If you have to pay for several prescriptions, or a minimum of 4, doing it this way would save you money in the long run! 

Its cruel, but we cant pay for all those people who have health problems who are here on a Visa. It could have been handled with more tact but I agree with what they have chosen to do.

We would lose our own health schemes if we cared for everyone else as well, or we would end up like the USA having to pay for any treatment.

rach i see your point and i agree but with something like a patient needing dialisis surely sheer decency dictates we don't cut someone off to deport them, it is guaranteed that she will die now. in effect they are murdering this women by failing to provide something iin their power that could save her life. your right about how we can't afford to pay for everyone, there should be a limit. i see everyones points about that, its not viable that someone comes over here and wants some non essential surgery but for life saving treatment (or life extending sorry) do we really have the right to say who lives and dies?

thats quite interesting i'll have a look, ta

That is very true Astarte I dont think uts about who decides who lives or dies more laong the lines of if an acception was made for her then everyone else would want the same treatment and if your VISA expires then it is your responsibility to renew it, why didnt she do this by the way? Does anyone know?

Its a no win situatuion for everyone but I pray she finds someway of having treatment.

Her visa was withdrawn as she was originally on a visitors visa and got it changed to a student visa but as she was not capable due to her language difficulties of doing the course she got a job as a cleaner and so the terms of the visa were therefore broken.

I am in full time employment, have a mortgage etc. and live on my own.  I have to go to my parents 3 days a week as I cannot afford to feed myself.  My hobbies of dog showing etc. are down the drain, went to 3 shows last year because I cannot afford that.

I'm sorry but one of my best friends is severely disabled and has worked all of her working life.  The number of people born in this country who do not work and claim ill health when they have nothing like as hard a life as her I think is disgusting.

Why should I pay for private health care when I've put in all of my working life and because I don't have kids and have always worked I had to buy a house.  I didn't do this until I was 31 as there was no way I could of afforded it before then and in truth the way things are going at the moment, with fuel prices, cost of living etc. I may not be able to afford having my own house for much longer.

This country definitely needs sorting out!

Sorry I had a wee typo error and I should know better ;-)

Prescription charges are being phased out altogether over the next couple of years - unless you are on multi meds for some time, dont buy a PP Cert just now as come April the £6 odds per item is dropping to £5-00, then £4-00 then £3-00 then zero.  Consequently the current costs of PP Certs is reducing in April and steadily thereafter so that it will be cheaper to buy for a whole year than it is for 4 months or so at moment.  Check with the pharmacy exact dates before purchasing!

We got a letter to this effect from the NHS dept that issues reminders when Certs are running out just about a week ago :)

Oh Teri I didn't know that!  That's good news

Is good isn't it :)  Makes a change to get something discounted :P

Tell me, hon, can I interest you in a voting poll at all ?????? (one good turn deserves another :D )

That is interesting so how are they going to raise the funds that will be lost from the charges then have they said ?

Absolutely no idea Lucy - I'm guessing we'll be hit with higher charges for something somewhere along the line (no such thing as a free lunch etc :rolleyes: )

Mmm seems to be only in Scotland and maybe in Wales and we will have to continue :rolleyes:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1935171.ece

hurray! what lovely news teri, you've cheered me right up! what to do with the extra £20...pedicure? massage? hmmm....

SORRY Guys that was meant to read ineligible SORRY nearly caused world war 3 :-)

ah see now that reads better

NI in the end counts for nothing as if you move abroad what are you entitled to on the NHS - nothing!!!  I worked for a period for the government (purely in an admin role - I am only 25!!) and learnt a lot about entitlements etc etc. 
The amount of queries we received basically from people trying 'health tourism' was unbelievable!! 
I do feel sorry for this lady but she could have renewed her visa (sorry, not quite up to scratch with the whole story) or had it changed back or whatever you have to do so that she was not in breach of it.  Very sad for her though but as said before we all take necessary health insurance out to cover us.  She can't have been that poor as if she was going to Uni then she would have had to fund herself - I believe it is well in excess of £8k per year!!
Visitors are only entitled to emergency treatment for free i.e. that which takes place in the A&E.  Anything else is chargeable (I think, but am probably wrong :rolleyes:)

I don't now how well (or poorly) the government lets visitors know what they entitled to so I suspect a lot of people are not aware that they don't get healthcare for free.  On the other hand there are plenty that do know exactly what they can get but still try it on....

This is so tragic :(

I dont think I should comment too fully on forum - I'm struggling to be tolerant.

It's harsh I know and sad too....but as others have said a line has to be drawn...no matter where it's drawn there will always be someone who is not happy about it...

I don't know of any country that would act differently.....  we just can't save them all, unfortunately.  Such suffering in this world, life is just not fair. :-(

We have to have insurance to travel abroad - I think this case is tragic - it isn't as if she is a criminal or terrorist - however why didn't they deport her ages ago when she became 'an illegal immigrant'.   As for free prescriptions - we have them already here in Wales.  I would gladly pay towards mine if it would mean that those that are being denied expensive necessary drugs would get them.  Someone today in the paper said there should be an opt-in clause!!!  

I think proper means testing should be brought in :)

I feel very sorry for this lady, and very angry on her behalf. she became ill whilst in this country, and did not become ill then travel to this country for treatment. The condition that she has is very expensive to treat. She will require dialysis, which in her country will cost £700 per day, three times a week, indefinitely as she will have to pay for it. now I dont know many people who could afford that...especially people with cancer who ovbviously cant work! do people on her actually realise that it will only take her about 2 weeks maximum before she dies??
I believe that she should remain in this country and be permitted to continue her treatment, as it has already started. If she had been deported earlier that would be a different matter, but to allow her to start treatment, then withdraw it is cruel.
I do not agree with the statements that if she doesnt pay tax she should get no treatment. Plenty of british nationals do not contribute to society by paying tax or national insurance, but still get free healthcare. Some of these people are genuinely unable to work, but many many are just not prepared to. Even in these cases, they still get free healthcare. This woman has gor ill through no fault of her own, and she is a human being. I can find it within me not to resent paying tax so that she can get treatment. But I was brought up to feel that way.
I work in healthcare and i see so many people get treated who deserve it less than her....murderers, child abusers, thieves, rapists, racists and people who abuse the staff. If we are going to save money on healthcare I'd rather deprive them of care than this woman.

A spokesman for Ghana's high commission in London said the country had two fully-equipped hospitals in Accra and further north in Kumasi.

He did concede that access to treatment was costly but said that if Ms Sumani was a member of the Ghana national health insurance scheme she would still receive treatment.

She still should get treatment in her home country as above .

hurrah! i'm with you pink!