No heart surgery for ailing girl

No heart surgery for ailing girl

The 10-day journey from war-torn Somalia to South Africa was tough, but it was the start of a better life for the 12-year-old.

Or so she thought.

The girl, whose unemployed and widowed mother remains in Mogadishu, planned to live with her brother in Pretoria, where he runs a small shop.

But just a day after she arrived in the country on July 4, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital - before she could apply for refugee status or an asylum-seeker permit.

Today the girl and her brother will approach the Pretoria High Court to force the Steve Biko Academic Hospital to urgently admit her to its paediatric cardiology ward for "assessment and treatment" and hopefully to save her.

The hospital has refused to perform the surgery to insert a heart valve unless her family coughs up a R250000 deposit.

Pretoria's Kalafong Hospital had admitted her, but said she needed surgery at the bigger Steve Biko hospital. The latter refused to admit her - unless she produced the necessary documentation or paid the deposit - and sent her back to Kalafong.

Yesterday, Lawyers for Human Rights, who will represent the siblings , said the respondents - Steve Biko hospital and the state - had said they would oppose the matter.

Gauteng health department spokesman Prince Hamnca, refused to comment, saying the matter was sub judice.

The siblings have asked the court to order that the deposit be waived.

They have asked that the health minister's policy requiring a deposit before providing emergency treatment to undocumented children be declared unconstitutional.