Medipol Hospital in Turkey has officially notified the Head of the Health Office at the Libyan Embassy in Turkey of its decision to cease all medical services to Libyan patients due to accumulated unpaid debts. The hospital has given the embassy a deadline until May 18th to settle the outstanding balances.
Furthermore, the hospital has requested the embassy to prepare for the transfer of Libyan patients currently accommodated in the hospital’s housing section, should the debts remain unpaid by the specified deadline. This move underscores the financial challenges faced by healthcare providers servicing international patients and highlights the diplomatic complexities involved in healthcare services abroad.
Last December, the National Human Rights Institution in Libya (NIHRL) urged the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), Siddiq Al-Kabir to revoke the suspension of financial authorisations for Libyan citizens receiving medical treatment abroad.
The NIHRL has also appealed for the rapid provision of necessary financial coverage for these patients, especially in urgent cases requiring immediate care.
In a statement, the organisation expressed its “deep concern about the health and humanitarian situation of Libyan nationals undergoing treatment abroad. This concern is particularly acute for cancer patients, and those with other severe illnesses.”
It condemned the “suspension of financial authorisations as an exploitative abuse of power, which has endangered patients’ lives and delayed their access to necessary treatment.” The organisation denounced these measures as “a serious violation of human rights and citisenship rights.”
The NIHRL has called on relevant authorities such as the Audit Bureau, the Administrative Control Authority, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a comprehensive investigation into suspicions of financial and administrative corruption in the treatment of Libyan patients abroad.
It demanded accountability for any financial irregularities that may have occurred, and ensured that funds allocated for patients reach their intended recipients.
