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Nigerian woman deported from Ireland may die



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Professor Michael O'Dwyer warned the Department of Justice that sending the woman to Nigeria would mean a death sentence
Professor Michael O'Dwyer warned the Department of Justice that sending the woman to Nigeria would mean a death sentence

A Nigerian woman, who was deported from Ireland on July 15, may die “within a year or two” as she will not be able to receive suitable care for her life-threatening cancer in her home country.

Officials were warned in June that sending the woman back to Nigeria would be “tantamount to a death sentence”, according to a consultant hematologist at University Hospital Galway, Professor Michael O’Dwyer. Nonetheless Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern signed the deportation papers for the woman and her young daughter, in the knowledge that the woman had an aggressive strain of leukemia.

Professor O’Dwyer said in a letter than deporting the woman was “truly shocking, heartless and barbaric”.

The woman was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. Her life expectancy was three to five years, without treatment. Doctors tried a treatment called lmatinib, which is referred to as “the magic bullet” of cancer treatment. It had no effect.

Professor O’Dwyer then put the woman on Nilotinib, an expensive treatment. It proved successful and her leukemia went into remission.

In Professor O’Dwyer’s letter he said that “as an internationally recognized CML (leukemia) expert”, he had little doubt the woman “would not be able to access [the drug] it in Nigeria where the expertise in CML management simply does not exist”.

Last weekend Professor O’Dwyer told the Irish Times that he was shocked to hear the woman had been deported. He said “I would be very worried that without getting this ongoing treatment, she could be dead within a year or two.”

Documents from the Department of Justice show that her medical condition was considered before she was deported. The woman’s lawyers claim that the deportation breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. They say that her treatment constitutes inhumane or degrading treatment.

The Department also took into account the fact that she had travelled to Italy on false documentation. They declined comment saying that they did not comment on individual cases.

In 2007 the woman came to Ireland and lived in a hostel in Galway. Her daughter was born in Ireland. She applied for refugee status but her application was refused.

The woman is now believed to be in Nigeria but her exact location is unknown.
 



12 Comments

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I might send some money WoundedKnee,but I am not naive enough to send my bank information. Lighten up, going through life negative and miserable is not going to get you anywhere.It is always easy to critize when you are on the outside looking in. People from Ireland go to the US for life saving surgery. I am sure some American taxpayers are not happy with that. It is similar to people who want to be soft on criminals until they become the victim of a crime.
sully: Very altruistic of you. Why don't you send her the money directly? Better still, just send your credit card number and bank passwords.
I am usually against heavy immigration to Ireland. Illegal and legal,but in this case an exception should be made when it is a matter of life and death. Even if it comes out of my taxes.
wounded knee, it's not your knee.
sorry but a line has to be drawn NOW let her own country take care of her this is getting out of hand. take care of your own people
Maybe if Ireland didn't give free health care to illegal's, they would give better care to it's legal citizens.
We Americans are paying for the health care for all the illegals that are in the country. They show up in the emergency rooms of our hospitals to get treated or to have their babies, and their bills are paid courtesy of the American taxpayers.
Quite right, justchris. And in case anyone accuses the Irish of lacking compassion, remember that the Irish taxpayer is already paying for the very expensive long-term health care for hundreds of HIV-positive African migrants. Those people will be a burden on the country for the rest of their lives.
I feel bad for this woman and her child but it is not Irelands responsibility to pay for her treatment... Her own country should be taking better care of its people.... Its not that im trying to be harsh but the economy is bad and countries dont have money to survive as it is without taking in more immigrants that want free medical and upkeep...
The previous two comments are unnecessarily harsh. I feel sympathy for this lady's situation. My suggestion is that the Nigerian migrants in Ireland--legally and illegally--should be asked for a volunteer who would agree to leave Ireland and let this woman take his/her place.
Spot on Mr G. Dillon! Meanwhile, while I can can manage to do so, I'll continue to spare a few bob for some small yet successful efforts towards medical care and agricultural developments in Africa through Ireland's charitable causes.
Is Ireland suupposed to pay for medical care for every sick person in Africa? Where is the money to come from? We know how hospital consultants cream it in Ireland. If O'Dwyer is such a Samaritan he should take take a year off and go practice in Lagos General. Irish workers can't solve their own problems, never mind the problems of the entire Third World.
 


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