Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010
Gulf News
Says Haq Movement leader turned down government assistance
Manama Bahrain on Sunday evening denied as “untrue and lacking credibility” reports that it had stopped financing the treatment of Hassan Mshaima, head of the Haq Movement, who has been battling cancer.
The activist had earlier this year said he was suffering from cancer and told supporters he would be travelling to Turkey and then to Britain for treatment. Bloggers have claimed in recent postings that the Health Ministry has decided to cut off the assistance to Mshaima.
“The claims that the Bahraini government has decided to stop paying for the treatment of Hassan Mshaima are blatant lies and an attempt by some people to change facts for self-serving purposes,” the medical attache at the Bahraini embassy in London said. “The Health Ministry had sent Hassan Mshaima to Turkey for medical diagnosis and later to Britain for treatment with the Bahraini government paying for all expenses. The Health Ministry has not stopped the financing, and the Bahraini embassy in London was in fact asked to cover all expenses in the most appropriate way.”
However, Mshaima has now turned down the financial sponsoring, saying that there are other sources who would pay for him, the medical attache said.
“Hassan Mshaima has been under pressure from his son Ali to take this new stance towards the government even though paying for the treatment was mainly a humanitarian issue unrelated to politics or propaganda,” the attache was quoted by the Bahrain News Agency as saying.
The news agency, quoting sources it did not name, also said the government would contact Interpol for the arrest of those behind the recent strife in the country.
The claims that the Bahraini government has decided to stop paying for the treatment of Hassan Mshaima are blatant lies and an attempt by some people to change facts for self-serving purposes.”
Medical attache
Bahraini Embassy in London
By Habib Toumi ?Bureau Chief
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