“Come and kiss me.” “Dad dig me a grave; I’m dying.” “What time is it?” With these words Bahaa Radi 14 died after being denied treatment.
Radi who was from al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip died from leukemia on 20th July as his health deteriorated after the Ramallah-based Ministry of Health refused to transfer him to a hospital in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories to get the necessary treatment.
Several months ago the Ramallah-based Ministry of Health decided to halt hundreds of urgent medical referrals for Gazan patients and to deprive Gaza hospitals of their share of medicines which led to the death of dozens of patients.
Fading smile
All that is remained of the memory of Bahaa who was once an energetic smiling child is a large photo of him and a number of medical reports from hospitals in Gaza and Jerusalem.
Mu’in Radi Bahaa’s father said that his son was diagnosed with leukemia last May and since Gaza hospitals were unable to provide him with the necessary treatment he was transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem for chemotherapy.
Fatima al-Mughrabi Bahaa’s grandmother who accompanied him in his treatment journey said: “He stayed for 18 days in the intensive care unit where he was given chemo doses. He was tired and nervous but still had hope. He told me I wish I was able to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Few days later Bahaa and his grandmother returned to Gaza after being told that he needed an urgent bone marrow transplant.
Bahaa’s father affirmed that his son was in a lot of pain in his last days at al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza adding that the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health refused to issue him an urgent medical referral to undergo the surgery at Tel Hashomer hospital in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories for no apparent reason.
Indifference
Although Bahaa’s health condition was classified as very serious this did not help him to get a permit to be able to travel for treatment.
His father said “When the internal division took place Bahaa was 3 years old and when he reached the age of 14 he paid the price for something that was not his fault.”
Mu’in Radi wondered about his child’s guilt which made the Palestinian Authority prevent him from having a surgery that was likely to save his life by 85%.
