Health Minister Ahmed Emad Eddin has ordered the closure of privately-owned Talaat Mostafa hospital in Alexandria after it was found be violating health regulations and refusing patients treatment.
The hospital was brought to the attention of health officials and the public when a video circulated online showed two teenage brothers who had been involved in a road accident being ordered to leave the hospital by administrative staff. The hospital refused to see the boys' treatment through because their family could not pay the full bill for their treatment.
Upon being notified about the incident, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, the health minister and the head of Alexandria health affairs department called for the children to receive the necessary medical attention and for legal action to be taken concerning the hospital.
The health minister subsequently confirmed that the two siblings, Mahmoud (15) and Abdel Sattar abdel Ghaffar (14) were admitted to Ras al-Tin public hospital on June 5 and that they were kept overnight for treatment, accompanied by their mother. After undergoing examinations the following day, the doctors drafted a report on their condition.
Upon inspection, Talaat Mostafa hospital was also found to be running unlicensed departments, and to be falling short of health and safety standards, announced the deputy health minister for the governorate.
The hospital was ordered on Saturday to be closed for one month or until the problem areas have been satisfactorily addressed. Attention is to be paid in particular to sterilization, the disposal of dangerous waste and the hiring of resident doctors and a full nursing team.
The decision of Saturday is the tenth time on record that a medical establishment has been closed due to violation of Health Ministry regulations.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
