The Fight for Life
An Ethiopina woman is being denied life-saving madeical care, due to her asylum status. Alem Ereselo has been living in South Africa for more than nine years and in April of this year recieved letters that she would nolonger be recieving dialysis treatment. Her treament was not stopped until about three weeks ago. The letter stated, "You ar enot a South African citizen and do not possess verified documents pertaining to refugee status or permanent citizenship." The letter also referenced the fact that the number of people in need of dialysisi is increasing and their is only a limited number of slots. The hospital insists that they do not have the resources and the treatement is expensive to maintain long term.
South African Department of Healths' policy says that asylum seekers are not entitled to chronic dialysis. Not only that, asylum seekers are not entitled to transplants either. This was also an arguement utilized by the hospital in that, giving dialysis to someone who can't actually recieve a kidney transplant is in some ways wasteful. The judge ruled that the case was not discriminatory against those who are seeking asylum, because there are South African citizens who too are turned away due to the lack of resources. Ereselo and her lawyer and looking legally challenging the decision that was made. Ereselo's legal team is also trying to raise money in order to get pay for private dialysis. Ms. Alem is said to be very physically weak and saddened by the judges decision.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50317610
An Ethiopina woman is being denied life-saving madeical care, due to her asylum status. Alem Ereselo has been living in South Africa for more than nine years and in April of this year recieved letters that she would nolonger be recieving dialysis treatment. Her treament was not stopped until about three weeks ago. The letter stated, "You ar enot a South African citizen and do not possess verified documents pertaining to refugee status or permanent citizenship." The letter also referenced the fact that the number of people in need of dialysisi is increasing and their is only a limited number of slots. The hospital insists that they do not have the resources and the treatement is expensive to maintain long term.
South African Department of Healths' policy says that asylum seekers are not entitled to chronic dialysis. Not only that, asylum seekers are not entitled to transplants either. This was also an arguement utilized by the hospital in that, giving dialysis to someone who can't actually recieve a kidney transplant is in some ways wasteful. The judge ruled that the case was not discriminatory against those who are seeking asylum, because there are South African citizens who too are turned away due to the lack of resources. Ereselo and her lawyer and looking legally challenging the decision that was made. Ereselo's legal team is also trying to raise money in order to get pay for private dialysis. Ms. Alem is said to be very physically weak and saddened by the judges decision.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50317610
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