by Xanthippe 11 Replies latest social current
kaik - Cancer treatment in the British NHS is generally excellent. Ashya received world-class care from highly-skilled NHS neurosurgeons who removed his tumour. The debate was about the most appropriate adjunctive therapy to treat any cells that may remain after the operation.
Whether or not proton therapy is the best choice depends on a lot of factors that you and I and the Czech media are not in the best position to judge.
British cancer care lags behind of that in Czech Republic and Slovenia. It is actually on the bottom of the list in EU and OECD. Czech child care is far ahead of British, or every EU country is ahead of the NHS system. UK still does not have PTC, which is already in other countries like Poland, Russia, Austria, and now in process to open in Pecs, Hungary and Slovakia.
The issue was not level of care from NHS, but arrogance of British bureaucracy dealing with the case. I believe what doctors told in interviews with the Czech press over embarrassed behavior from UK officials who chased poor Kings family across entire Europe and made jack asses of themselves in the process in both in Spain and Czech Republic. If the British were right, than Kings would be in prison and little Ashya in CPS care at the hand of British bureaucracy. British were wrong and even apologized to Kings, but it was not after widespread outcry in EU, UK, Spain and Czech Republic. If their case would remain anonymous and forgotten, we would never heard of it. Any case, you trying to tell me that British official were behaving right, but it was Kings family -who got apology and their action was justified- were wrong? It just does not make sense.
So, what I have read from the Czech newspaper, TV and media, Kings contacted PTC in Prague for treatment in July. PTC is a standard cancer care in both Czech Republic and Germany. Munich has PTC on level of Prague but it is not as modern. Nothing alternative about it. British doctors did not bothered to answer Czech medical officials for SIX weeks. They were ignored, this was the PTC word. They lied to Kings family that PTC is not worth it and than threatened them with CPS to take little Ashya away. Czech medical team twice per week through entire August tried to communicate with the British and got NO single word of reply. They received medical papers after international outcry ten days later after scheduled appointment. British doctors knew that little Ashya would be scheduled for transport to Prague in first week September. PTC and child hospital in Prague-Motol (the largest hospital in Central Europe) had their all calls and messages ignored. Kings family pull their child away in defiance of NHS bureaucracy, and decided to pay for the treatment with their own money. They got chased across four countries and get arrested on false arrest warrant. Their name is smeared through European press. It was not until international outcry and assurance from Czech PTC that they were dealing with Kings for six weeks to get the boy released from Spanish custody. Boy arrived to Prague in very bad shape according to PTC and Motol. He got treated and anonymous donor paid $50000 for it. Later NHS after public pressure paid for the rest. The British hospital lied, hid themselves from the international embarrassment, and yet it is Kings fall that they sought treatment abroad which is not available at UK. The institution who was responsible for smearing Kings family was not even capable to fire the people who mishandled the case and seems nobody is there responsible for anything anymore.
What Kings family did was brave and they made the right choice. They did something what other loving parents would do for their sick child and I cannot condemn their action.
