Social media outcry leads to hospitalization of cancer patient in Tashkent
A 72-year-old homeless woman suffering from cancer in Tashkent was repeatedly denied admission to hospitals by emergency services over a period of more than 10 days. Despite multiple attempts to seek medical assistance, she was left without proper care until a viral video surfaced on social media, sparking widespread outrage and eventually leading to her hospitalization.
On March 6, doctors arrived four times to take her to the hospital, but each time she was turned away. It was not until the video showing a dispute between a neighborhood officer and an emergency doctor over her situation went viral that she was finally admitted to the hospital on March 7.
The video highlighted systemic problems and the need for public outcry to address issues in Uzbekistan. It showed the doctor explaining that emergency services had been trying to take the woman to hospitals for hours, but all refused to admit her. The neighborhood officer in the video claimed that the woman did not belong to his area and refused to take responsibility.
The doctor emphasized that the woman had Stage 4 cancer and had been sick for five years, yet no hospital would admit her. He stressed the need for planned hospital admission but faced resistance from the district officer who insisted that she needed medical help.
After the incident gained public attention, the Republican Emergency Medical Services Center released a statement explaining the series of events leading to the woman’s hospitalization. Despite multiple emergency calls and attempts to transport her to hospitals, she was only admitted after the fourth call initiated by a law enforcement officer.
The statement confirmed that the woman, identified as M.B., is currently receiving treatment at the Tashkent City Branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Oncology and Radiology. The incident shed light on the challenges faced by homeless individuals in accessing proper medical care and the need for a more efficient healthcare system in Uzbekistan.
