In a sensational incident in the UK, a couple whose baby died following an emergency Caesarean was denied the permission to take the body of the baby to home as they were unable to pay £10,000 National Health Service (NHS) fees. The couple did not have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), and they were asked to pay the amount – but they couldn't.
Asper reports, the incident took place in 2018, when the couple was on a holidayin the UK from a western European country. However, the hospital trust involvedin the case declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Midwives has opined that maternity care should be exempt from overseas charges. An NHS doctor, Joe Rylands said, "There's a service the NHS offers when you've had a miscarriage or when your baby has died – they can present it to you, the body in a bassinet, you take it home to have a funeral." He further added, "This couple was not allowed to have the body because they hadn't paid the bill." The Royal College of Midwives further told the BBC it has written to ministers urging them to suspend the system.
Thestory of the couple threw fresh light on a controversial issue months after a Pakistanicitizen was to pay £32,000 for end-of-life care.
