Medical aid denied: British-Pakistani suffers heart attack in London quarantine

LONDON: The London High Court ordered the release of a British Pakistani national in quarantine, who suffered a heart attack and almost died after the hotel staff at President Hotel Russell Square failed to notice that he was vulnerable and refused to offer him the required facilities.

On May 18, 2021, British-Pakistani National Mohammed Rafiq, 58, returned to the United Kingdom on a Virgin Airlines flight from Pakistan where he had gone to visit his critically ill parents in district Kotli, Azad Kashmir.

Upon arrival, he was transported from Heathrow airport and placed in a government approved quarantine hotel. Within a few hours, he suffered a severe heart attack and was hospitalised and almost died.

Airport officials and hotel staff knew that Mohammed Rafiq is illiterate, unable to use technology and vulnerable, but they did nothing to protect him. Rafiq lives in Aylesbury with his wife and children.

Arriving at the hotel, Mohammed Rafiq tried to explain to staff that he was severely diabetic and that he needed to take insulin to maintain his condition. He showed staff his GP’s letter confirming that he had been prescribed a specific type of insulin that he was authorised to carry on the flight and that he also needed to eat specific foods at set times. Despite his best efforts, no one listened and he was denied access to his medicines and food. He was also initially denied access to going out for a walk for fresh air. Mohammed Rafiq’s health then began to rapidly deteriorate. He told The News that he became increasingly desperate, scared and broke down, begging for help. Passengers in the hotel heard me crying and pleading for my life but the hotel staff ignored me and dismissed my actions as causing a scene, he said. At 8:00pm that night, Rafiq collapsed and was then transported to hospital in an ambulance in a serious condition.

Late that night he contacted solicitor Muhammad Zahab Jamali and asked for legal help. Barrister Zahab Jamali told this reporter he contacted the Health Secretary's lawyers, asking them to intervene and resolve the issue but nothing was done.

Doctors at the University College Hospital London acted promptly and helped Muhammad Rafiq. They discovered that he had suffered a heart attack, brought about by stress and the poor management of his diabetic condition. On the following day, he had a stent inserted into his heart.

Whilst in recovery, Rafiq was told that he would have to return to quarantine after he was discharged. After the government lawyers declined, Barrister Jamali subsequently brought urgent proceedings in the High Court. A detailed examination of the case took place in court on May 25, resulting in a High Court Judge ordering release of Rafiq, subject to a doctor confirming the same. The doctor soon confirmed that he should be released, but the government still moved Rafiq back to the same hotel under the same conditions around 5pm.

After a lot of communication and legal action threats, the hotel agreed to release him after refusing to even look into the case. Mohammed Rafiq is now recovering at home with his family, but says that the entire ordeal has left him scarred for life.

Zahab Jamali said: “This case is one of many others to raise serious questions about the duty of care owed by the government to travellers. “The question as to whether adequate safeguards are really in place to protect those who are most vulnerable has been raised time and time again. The cavalier approach of the government, the airport and the hotel staff almost resulted in the death of a clearly vulnerable individual. “When the very objective of the red list and quarantine system is to prevent death and save lives, are the most vulnerable afforded the same protection?” A hotel source confirmed that Rafiq was taken to hospital and later on discharged on the court order, but made no comment about his health situation.