Three-year-old Palestinian refugee Mohammad Wahbah was announced dead yesterday morning after he was denied treatment at Lebanese hospitals, Arab48 reported.
Mohammad needed urgent brain surgery which his family could not afford and the hospital said they did not have the funds to complete.
Loving father's last farewell … Mohammad Wehbe's father kisses his son one last time after the 3 years old #Palestinian ?? child died after he was "denied medical help" after #Lebanon ?? hospital "refused to admit him for the lack of available beds"https://t.co/q93reUHDK2 pic.twitter.com/9dwZFpQ2l5
— SaadAbedine (@SaadAbedine) December 19, 2018
Palestinian refugees launched a campaign on social media to put pressure on Lebanese health services to admitted Mohammad but it was too late. He fell into a coma as soon as he was admitted to hospital and died three days later.
This is not the happy, triumphant ending that generations of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have hoped and fought for over the years https://t.co/jI52oA6T2i pic.twitter.com/D6JfJfPp7M
— Ramzy Baroud (@RamzyBaroud) December 19, 2018
Mohammad’s family said UNRWA, the UN body in charge of Palestinian refugee affairs, was responsible for his death.
A 3-year-old #Palestinian refugee child lost his life in #Lebanon because his family couldn’t pay for the treatment. All he left for them is the sadness and frustration of being a refugee with no rights for healthcare in hosting countries!
RIP Mohammed Wahbe pic.twitter.com/k902qrSSbF— Palestinians abroad (@PalesAbroadE) December 19, 2018
As a result, thousands of Palestinian refugees took to the streets and protested against UNRWA and the Lebanese government. They also announced a general strike in the refugee camps to express their anger with the policy of negligence.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
