9-Month-Old Infant Dies in Douar Hicher After Being Refused Hospital Admission Due to Lack of Medical Record
A 9-month-old infant has died in Douar Hicher, in the Manouba governorate, after being refused admission to the hospital due to the absence of a medical record, reigniting the debate on bureaucracy in healthcare services.
According to the infant's mother, Mrs. Naïma, the baby had a severe cold two days prior. The family went to the Bab Saadoun children's hospital to seek medical attention, but the administration refused to register or admit the child, citing the absence of a "medical record" and demanding a payment that the family could not afford.
Forced to return home, the parents attempted to alleviate their child's symptoms with medication from a pharmacy. However, the child's condition worsened, and they passed away the following morning.
In a statement given to Diwan Fm on Sunday, Mrs. Naïma explained that she had tried to navigate the relevant services to obtain the medical record, but to no avail.
As a gesture of protest, she refused to release her child's body for burial without the presence of the regional governor, holding local and regional authorities responsible for the tragedy.
She specified that she had met with the governor, who promised to regularize the situation regarding the medical record within the week.
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