Cancer patients who have been receiving treatment for several years at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain told Emarat Al Youm that “the hospital, which is the main center for treating cancer diseases in the country, has stopped their free treatment and asked them to pay sums of money for treatment, amounting to 5,000 dirhams for radiation and 60,000 dirhams for surgery.”
They pointed out that “the hospital administration asked them to go to their emirates to receive treatment, even though cancer treatment is not available in hospitals in the northern emirates, and limited hospitals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide only chemotherapy at prices exceeding 30 thousand dirhams per month for the patient.”
Patients quoted the hospital administration as saying that “free treatment is now limited to residents of Abu Dhabi,” noting that “the hospital asked them to obtain health insurance cards, and when they went to the company that issued those cards, they were told that they were not covered by insurance, and that those who were accepted as an exception were required to pay amounts of up to 200,000 dirhams annually.”
For its part, the hospital administration decided to stop free treatment and limit it to those who have health insurance cards issued by “Daman” and “Thiqa” companies.
SEHA, which includes Tawam Hospital, confirmed that it “requires that treatment services are not available in other hospitals to provide treatment to patients.”
In detail, the patient, Intisar Muhammad, a 36-year-old housewife, said that “the Ministry of Health hospitals refer cancer patients for treatment at Tawam Hospital, which used to provide us with full treatment without paying any money.” However, patients were surprised a few days ago that they were “required to pay high amounts of money estimated at tens of thousands of dirhams for monthly treatment.”
She stated that “a few weeks ago, she underwent a removal of part of her colon and part of her uterus in the hospital due to a malignant tumor. She was given a follow-up appointment last month, and when she went there, the Tawam Hospital administration asked her to pay sums of money in exchange for the doctor’s examination and to perform new surgeries.”
“The hospital administration informed us that the exemptions have been cancelled, and patients must obtain specific health insurance cards to continue their treatment,” she added.
She said, “Insurance companies refuse to include cancer patients in their services, and if my case is exceptionally approved, I will be required to pay 100,000 dirhams annually.”
She said that she “lives with a device installed in her chest area, through which she receives chemotherapy, and after stopping the free treatment, she is required to remove it for 20 thousand dirhams.”
Patient Kawthar Zuhair, who lives in Ajman, said that she is “a widow and receives a monthly salary of 2,500 dirhams, an amount that does not allow her to receive treatment for any disease,” noting that she “has been receiving free treatment for a malignant kidney tumor at Tawam Hospital for five years.”
She added: “A few days ago, I was surprised that my free treatment was stopped, and the hospital administration did not recognize the referral letter issued by the Ministry of Health,” indicating that “she was now required to pay multiples of her salary for every visit to the hospital after the free treatment was stopped.”
The patient, Imran Rashid, who suffers from a tumor that has spread throughout his body, said that he was “shocked after the free treatment was stopped at the hospital where he has been receiving treatment for four years,” noting that he was “in critical stages of his illness, and stopping treatment means his death.”
“I went to the insurance company to request that I be included in the service, based on the hospital’s decision, and I was surprised when they asked me to pay 200,000 dirhams annually,” he continued, noting that “he is required to pay amounts reaching 4,000 dirhams for one x-ray, and 60,000 dirhams for the smallest surgery, knowing that he needs an unspecified number of surgeries.” He stated that “the hospital administration informed him that he will receive treatment for six months with a temporary card.”
Rashid said, “Stopping free treatment has put him and dozens of others in a bad psychological state,” calling on “government medical authorities to intervene to provide treatment for cancer patients.”
In contrast, the management of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) was satisfied with a short response to a question from “Emarat Al Youm” in which it said: “Free treatment for cancer patients holding Daman and Thiqa policies at Tawam Hospital has not been stopped, provided that this service is not available in other hospitals.”
It is noteworthy that “the hospitals of the Northern Emirates do not provide cancer treatment, and chemotherapy is provided by a limited number of hospitals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for a large sum of money.”
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