Plea for Ghanaian woman's return - Page 2 - Nigerian Movies & Nollywood on Naijarules.com

Obariba · #16 (**permalink**) 01-18-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Obariba, na moni kill am na. I sure say the equipment dey for Ghana too. But health in Africa na cash and carry, not free like in UK.

But the free care is for their tax payers ....and na so even middle class African folks go fly abroad use free medicaid ...pick up foreign passport for pickin then zoom back to Africa .....Abroadey peeps don tire .....Foreigners go soon cripple the health care system dem dey try preserve for their own people !!

If folks put this story on the front page and hold a peaceful protest maybe it will move the leaders to take action.

Meddeen250 · #17 (**permalink**) 01-19-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samira

It may have appeared barbaric and inhuman treatment to you and some, but this is exactly what happens when a group of people have made it a bad habit of relying on others for DECADES! When are we Africans also going to take responsibility of our own? Are we always going to depend on others? I am sure thousands of ghanaians are being treated by the British govt for FREE each year....how long do you think they can afford to do this? after a while people do get sick and tired you know...and I do not blame them! It is not as if she was going to die the very next day and the british still deported her...That will have been a different case!

This is NO LONGER A LESSON LEARNT FOR US! We deserve to be treated this way. It may sound harsh to you but what you and I should start saying to our government is ENOUGH is ENOUGH! Cut the pointing fingers abeg. The problem starts from us and it will remain so if we continue pointing fingers!

I was astonished by the request of the Ghana High Commissioner to the UK pleading for the Ghanaian woman needing dialysis to be allowed back into the UK. What a frigging disgrace! This to me typifies the Ghanaian mentality. If this woman could only have this treatment in the UK, I could understand the intervention of the High Commissioner. I believe she could have the treatment at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital but was refused on the grounds that she does not have the means to pay. But guess what, it is not only a matter of not being able to pay, the hosiptal is currently not in the right shape to assist her in any way. They do not have the necessary equipments for the patients and this is sad to me as Ghana as borrowed more than a billion dollars to still be in this horrible state!

Instead of the High Commissioner pleading for her return to the UK, should he not be pleading with the President of Ghana to ensure the unfortunate lady gets her treatment in Ghana, her native land? It appears only the rich can afford the best treatment and even that, most of them go outside the country for medical care. That says alot about the people governing the country. They continue to borrow millions of dollars to fix the country but the main hosipital in Ghana looks more like the morgue!

I do not think the High Commissioner should pass the responsibility in this instance to the British tax payer. Perhaps he might consider using his good offices to help the lady or even set a good example by making a substantial contribution towards the cost of her treatment then maybe, others may follow.

Africans have to learn to be self sufficient and African governments should be helping the poor and the needy in Africa more than they seem prepared to do. This is certainly NOT about the BRITISH but about US (AFRICANS).

Irrespective of the fact that African governments should provide adequate health care facilities for their people, this particular case (involving the Ghanaian lady) is not just going to be laid to rest. The behaviour of the British Home Office is unacceptable and inhuman to say the least. There are some members of the British Parliament taking action to get the decision reversed. You guys can blame the Ghanaian government all you like, but the actions of the Home Office are being called into question and rightly so.
In addition, the lady's situation should be treated as an exceptional circumstance and therefore she must be allowed to remain in the UK on compassionate grounds. I know it's at the discretion of the Home Secretary, but surely this is one of those times he is expected to use his discretion wisely. We''re talking about an institution (Home Office) where some of their workers were illegal immigrants and yet they failed to even take notice of them. How negligent can you be? They should leave the poor lady alone to continue her treatment in the UK.

Meddeen250 · #18 (**permalink**) 01-19-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

She doesnt need to be in the UK ...we get the equipment plenty for Naija ...

Is it free?

Even the average Nigerian cannot afford to pay for such treatment and yet you're calling for this poor lady to go to Nigeria. What is the rationale behind your suggestion?

Papino · #19 (**permalink**) 01-19-2008, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obariba

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The president of Nigeria knows about the list above but still travels to Germany for dialysis.Apart from the cash issue as noted by Funmo,there is also the issue of reliability.An uncle of mine died last year october bcos they took light while he was in a dialysis process in Eastern Nigeria medicals Enugu.
Before they could alternate power,his heart ceased.

Sure there is a point in highlighting the bug on the British tax payers but,one would have expected that she would be treated to a certain level of stability before being deported with a mobile dialysis machine-they exist!What then is the difference between this act and that of Nigerian doctors/hospitals who would not touch a patient unless huge money is first deposited?

samira · #20 (**permalink**) 01-20-2008, 10:56 AM

Papino and Med....your points are valid...but how long are we going to rely on others? I am happy to hear that the British are reconsidering their drastic actions to this matter but there is a point where the line is drawn and we are begining to see it....shouldn't our govt start doing something about it instead of still asking for their assistant? As usual, my people will continue to make excuses and we are seen to be going deep in the merge (sp)! No changes whatsoever....oh well!!!

samira · #21 (**permalink**) 01-20-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papino

Sure there is a point in highlighting the bug on the British tax payers but,one would have expected that she would be treated to a certain level of stability before being deported with a mobile dialysis machine-they exist!What then is the difference between this act and that of Nigerian doctors/hospitals who would not touch a patient unless huge money is first deposited?

@ highlighted: Have you seriously done your research on dialysis issues? In that case, then all other patients suffering from this might as well pack up their bags and moved to London for treatment.

From the paper:

"I would plead that this lady come back and receive treatment in the UK. The UK has in the past done this for many, many people and I am confident they could do it again."

Again, when will our govt also start taking responsibility in such cases? see where I differ from you and med's point is that you are so focused on this one patient forgetting the fact that there are thousands of others also in the same predicament and our govt is STILL not doing anything about it....the main hospital in Ghana is practically a morgue and the private hospitals are not reliable either and only affordable to those who can afford it.

Obariba · #22 (**permalink**) 01-20-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papino

The president of Nigeria knows about the list above but still travels to Germany for dialysis.Apart from the cash issue as noted by Funmo,there is also the issue of reliability.An uncle of mine died last year october bcos they took light while he was in a dialysis process in Eastern Nigeria medicals Enugu.
Before they could alternate power,his heart ceased.

Sure there is a point in highlighting the bug on the British tax payers but,one would have expected that she would be treated to a certain level of stability before being deported with a mobile dialysis machine-they exist!What then is the difference between this act and that of Nigerian doctors/hospitals who would not touch a patient unless huge money is first deposited?

you know I like to ask the question ....WHY ????

Perhaps the Ghanian woman and other illegal immigrants are filling up all medical slots ...resulting in legal residents being put on waiting list ...Im sure the British government did not consider the influx of illegal immigrants weighing down their health care system ....why cant the Ghanaian president be the one ...to "be compassionate" and take responsibility for his citizen??

Africans are too scared to challenge the status quo ...its so easy to sneak into other countries to tap into their resources ....after all Nigeria too once sent Ghanaians out of Nigeria ....why shouldnt the British govt deport non citizens ???

How many compassionate passes should they give out to non tax payers who come in illegally ??

We want to put the blame on the British ......we need to take action and hold our African leaders responsible.

That is the way to progress !!

Obariba · #23 (**permalink**) 01-20-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samira

@ highlighted: Have you seriously done your research on dialysis issues? In that case, then all other patients suffering from this might as well pack up their bags and moved to London for treatment.

I agree well well....

If we cant focus on correcting our problems in Africa ...why should the British continue to cater to a bunch of non tax paying foreigners who cannot demand certain quality of services in their individual countries ...we know how to justify Owambe ..... or first ladies undergoing cosmetic procedures abroad ...but issues like this will get minimal responses ....that is so typical .....priorities miss road !!

Then why did we bother fighting for independence from colonial rule ???

Tell me why I havent read front page headlines on African newspapers about the issue ???

Why arent people holding peaceful protests ....why arent there front page articles asking our leaders why they went abroad for medical treatment the previous week ???

Thats the way to effect change !!!!!

A country like Nigeria cannot boast of a major hospital that can provide ...affordable medical treatment to its citizens

even when I post links to medical centers we criticize the quality !

Simisola · #24 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 06:17 AM

A Ghanaian woman who was removed from a Cardiff hospital where she was receiving cancer treatment and flown home after her visa expired has died.
Ama Sumani, 39, passed away in Accra, Ghana, hours after being told that friends and family had found doctors in the UK and South Africa to treat her.

They had also raised more than £70,000 from donations to pay for drugs which were not available in her home country.

Her friend Janet Simmons said: "She said she was too tired to fight."

Ms Sumani, a widowed mother-of-two, died at about 1600 GMT on Wednesday in Korle-Bu hospital in Accra, said Mrs Simmons.

She had been receiving kidney dialysis and treatment there after immigration officials removed Ms Sumani from the University Hospital of Wales in January.

But the drug she needed to prolong her life - thalidomide - is not available in Ghana.

Janet Simmons, friend

Mrs Simmons, from Cardiff, who returned from spending a month in Ghana on Sunday, said they had just found a doctor in South Africa and another in the UK who would treat terminally-ill Ms Sumani with the drugs.

"We told her this morning but this afternoon she gave up," she said.

A campaign to allow Ms Sumani to return to the UK for treatment and to raise funds to help her had been backed by people across the country.

"The British people kept her alive all this time and we would like to thank them for their donations," said Mrs Simmons.

She added: "I last saw her on Saturday morning before I left Ghana. She was not 100%. She asked me 'are you taking me with you?' and I had to say no."

The BBC's Will Ross in Accra said Ms Sumani's life had been precarious, and that the decision to send her home was controversial.

Despite facing great challenges in Ghana as her health deteriorated, she remained cheerful and hoped the British government would reverse its decision, he added.

Anonymous donor

Ms Sumani had been undergoing dialysis and was receiving other drugs at the University Hospital of Wales after being diagnosed with malignant myeloma which damaged her kidneys.

She came to the UK five years ago to become a student but began working in contravention of her visa regulations.

When she returned to Ghana it was feared she would not be able to pay the costs of dialysis, and an anonymous donor from the UK stepped in to pay for three months of treatment.

Previously, Mrs Simmons had said a family had offered to look after Ms Sumani's children Mary, 16, and seven-year-old Samede.

The decision to remove Ms Sumani was described as "atrocious barbarism" by leading medical journal The Lancet.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams also criticised the way cases like hers were handled.

BBC NEWS | Wales | Removed Ghanaian dies of cancer

So sad.

adjojata42 · #25 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 07:01 AM

well said Samira, how long are we going to ask for handouts from europe. the govt of ghana is using 50+ million dollars to build a presidential palace, currently 37,000,000 is being used to buy a luxurious presidential jet. meanwhile railways workers are on strike because they have not been paid for six months, some secondary schools are in the process of being closed down because there is no money for them, mothers are being detained in hospitals because they cannot pay their bills, the youth employment workers are 'starving', because they have not being paid for six months. the list goes on and on. our problem is just pure mis-placement of our priorities. i don't know what is wrong with our brains, i think that is why the white man does not respect, and Prof. Watson had the effortery to tell us that "the African is less intelligent". Meddeen your points are very valid, but we need to face the hard facts, our leaders are just visionless and they don't seem to care for the masses except when election time is during near, that is when they come to us with their promises, and because the masses are not well informed, we vote for them again and the cycle goes round and round. ooh mother africa, what happened!!!

Sifu · #26 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 09:29 AM

You have found peace Ms Sumani. Rest in the bossom of the Lord.

Atlakos · #27 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 09:50 AM

Like we say in Ashanti:

"Enya Dwo"
Diye odi oo, Diye otua oo, Enya Dwo!
May she rest in perfect peace.

Ivybaby · #28 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 12:04 PM

Ama's story was very pathetic, now tht she is gone, i guess all is over.
'Efie gya edum, enya adwo, asem de n'asem ko'
May her humble soul rest in perfect peace.

cheriah · #29 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 01:24 PM

I was sad to read about this poor lady but at the same time the British Government can not be blamed.

There was also a case of a Nigerian lady who died after giving birth to twin boys because she was refused treatment. This lady was here visiting her boyfriend and she ended up giving birth here free on the NHS.

After the birth, a heart problem was diagnosed and it was determined that she required a transplant before if she were to survive. Of course she was not given priority because she was not a British citizen and so eventually she died.

Her boyfriend then went on TV crying racism. While I could understand his pain i couldn't help but think that this woman had given birth to healthy twin boys plus another child that was about three years old yet he is a British citizen hadn't married her and given her status that would permit treatment.

I thought he had some nerve.

To all you guys crying foul: What if it were your relative who needed the exact same treatment as this lady.

Your relative is a legal UK citizen, has worked and paid their taxes and was now in need of dialysis or a transplant that could possibly save their lives.

Who do you feel should be given priority?

Your relative who had immigrated to the country legally or the visiting Nigerian or Ghanaian who was in the country on a student visa?

It is cruel but a call has to made and I am of the opinion that priority should be given to legal tax paying citizens.

On a side note: The British Government should make health insurance compulsory for all visitors.

Simisola · #30 (**permalink**) 03-20-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheriah

I was sad to read about this poor lady but at the same time the British Government can not be blamed.

There was also a case of a Nigerian lady who died after giving birth to twin boys because she was refused treatment. This lady was here visiting her boyfriend and she ended up giving birth here free on the NHS.

After the birth, a heart problem was diagnosed and it was determined that she required a transplant before if she were to survive. Of course she was not given priority because she was not a British citizen and so eventually she died.

Her boyfriend then went on TV crying racism. While I could understand his pain i couldn't help but think that this woman had given birth to healthy twin boys plus another child that was about three years old yet he is a British citizen hadn't married her and given her status that would permit treatment.

I thought he had some nerve.

To all you guys crying foul: What if it were your relative who needed the exact same treatment as this lady.

Your relative is a legal UK citizen, has worked and paid their taxes and was now in need of dialysis or a transplant that could possibly save their lives.

Who do you feel should be given priority?

Your relative who had immigrated to the country legally or the visiting Nigerian or Ghanaian who was in the country on a student visa?

It is cruel but a call has to made and I am of the opinion that priority should be given to legal tax paying citizens.

On a side note: The British Government should make health insurance compulsory for all visitors.

What about for all its citizens and residents. If we did, NHS wouldn't be going thru all these embarrassing crisis it's going thru now now.