A Sudanese immigrant who was denied the possibility of a lung transplant but was covered under Medicaid for a $1300-a-day hospital room has died.
The man, 46-year-old Ahmad Muhammad, was a permanent legal resident of the United States but was denied a lung transplant because he was not a citizen. By the time he was placed on a waiting list following intervention by New York politicians last month, "it was too late," UPI reported on July 4. "Muhammad's family says it believes Muhammad would have survived the fibrosis of the lungs if his name had been placed on the transplant list as soon as doctors realized the operation was necessary to save his life."
In related news, debate has ensued among doctors, attorneys, and a rabbi over whether a 39-year-old woman serving a life prison term should receive a heart transplant. "Supporters and opponents agree that without a transplant Mindy Brass will die from heart disease," UPI said on July 2. Ms. Brass, who began serving a life term for drug trafficking in 1992, won a request for a new trial last month. However, a judge rejected her plea to be freed until the November retrial to seek health care.
Please be aware that medical advice, diagnoses and physician references cannot be obtained from this site.