The London High Court allowed the release of a British Pakistani who suffered a heart attack and almost died in quarantine after the hotel staff at President Hotel Russell Square refused to provide medical aid.
The hotel staff didn’t recognize when 58-year-old Mohammed Rafiq suffered a heart attack. He was quarantined at the hotel after returning to the United Kingdom (UK) on a Virgin Airlines flight from Pakistan on May 18th after visiting his critically ill parents in district Kotli, Azad Kashmir.
The government-approved quarantine hotel failed to recognize when he suffered a heart attack a few hours into quarantine. The British-Pakistani almost died from a lack of medical aid but was luckily hospitalized.
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According to The News, airport officials and hotel staff were aware Mohammed Rafiq is illiterate and technologically challenged, but they did nothing to protect him. Despite informing the staff about his diabetes, no one listened to Rafiq. He was even denied access to his medications and food. By 8:00 pm that night, Rafiq suffered a heart attack and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
As per doctors at University College Hospital London, Rafiq’s heart attack was brought about by stress and the poor management of his diabetic condition.
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From the University College Hospital London, Rafiq was able to seek legal counsel. He appointed Barrister Muhammad Zahab Jamali for help. According to the barrister, he contacted the Health Secretary’s lawyers, asking them to intervene and resolve the issue. However, they too failed to act.
Barrister Jamali then brought urgent proceedings in the High Court. Following a detailed examination of the case in the HC on May 25, the judge ordered the release of Rafiq. The doctor confirmed that Rafiq should be released, but the government still moved him back to the same hotel under the same conditions around 5 pm. It wasn’t until threats of legal action that the patient was finally released.
