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Cancer patient loses visa battle | Cancer patient loses visa battle |
(30 minutes later) | |
A Ghanaian woman who came to study in Wales five years ago has been told she must return to the African country, despite being terminally ill. | A Ghanaian woman who came to study in Wales five years ago has been told she must return to the African country, despite being terminally ill. |
Ama Sumani, 39, has been receiving dialysis at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for over a year after cancer damaged her kidneys. | Ama Sumani, 39, has been receiving dialysis at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for over a year after cancer damaged her kidneys. |
Ms Sumani, whose visa has expired, said she cannot afford this care in Ghana. | Ms Sumani, whose visa has expired, said she cannot afford this care in Ghana. |
She was taken from hospital on Wednesday. The Home Office said it was unable to comment on individual cases. | She was taken from hospital on Wednesday. The Home Office said it was unable to comment on individual cases. |
A friend said Ms Sumani, who was taken away from the hospital on Wednesday morning by immigration officials, was due to leave on a plane back to Ghana at 1400 GMT. | A friend said Ms Sumani, who was taken away from the hospital on Wednesday morning by immigration officials, was due to leave on a plane back to Ghana at 1400 GMT. |
She left hospital in a wheelchair, was put into a van and taken away at about 0800 GMT. | She left hospital in a wheelchair, was put into a van and taken away at about 0800 GMT. |
The cancer she is suffering from - malignant myeloma - would ordinarily be treated with a bone marrow transplant. | The cancer she is suffering from - malignant myeloma - would ordinarily be treated with a bone marrow transplant. |
But because Ms Sumani is a foreign national she is not entitled to this from the National Health Service (NHS). | |
The dialysis treatment she has been receiving is helping to prolong her life and her last treatment was on Tuesday evening. | The dialysis treatment she has been receiving is helping to prolong her life and her last treatment was on Tuesday evening. |
Legal status | Legal status |
But it needs to be repeated regularly and there are concerns there are few dialysis treatment centres in Ghana. | But it needs to be repeated regularly and there are concerns there are few dialysis treatment centres in Ghana. |
Health care there is also private but Ms Sumani said she could not afford it. | Health care there is also private but Ms Sumani said she could not afford it. |
"Where I am staying is in a village and there is no hospital, there is only a clinic," said Ms Sumani. | "Where I am staying is in a village and there is no hospital, there is only a clinic," said Ms Sumani. |
"That machine is only in Accra (Ghana's capital) and I do not know Accra at all." | "That machine is only in Accra (Ghana's capital) and I do not know Accra at all." |
A friend Janet Simmons said she did not know how Ms Sumani would cope back in Ghana. | A friend Janet Simmons said she did not know how Ms Sumani would cope back in Ghana. |
"She comes from the northern part of Ghana which is the poorest part of the country," she said. | "She comes from the northern part of Ghana which is the poorest part of the country," she said. |
"Basically she has been sent there to die." | "Basically she has been sent there to die." |
Ms Simmons added that her friend was a widow and a mother of two children, who were currently being looked after by members of her church in Ghana. | Ms Simmons added that her friend was a widow and a mother of two children, who were currently being looked after by members of her church in Ghana. |
Ms Sumani is being removed from the country rather than deported because her visa expired some time ago which means she has no legal status in the UK. | Ms Sumani is being removed from the country rather than deported because her visa expired some time ago which means she has no legal status in the UK. |
A removal means that in theory she could apply to return to the UK in the future. | A removal means that in theory she could apply to return to the UK in the future. |
Several appeals have been made on her behalf to keep her in Wales, all of which are now exhausted, said her solicitor. | Several appeals have been made on her behalf to keep her in Wales, all of which are now exhausted, said her solicitor. |
One which stated that she was too ill to travel home was rejected by the Border and Immigration service last May. | One which stated that she was too ill to travel home was rejected by the Border and Immigration service last May. |
Ms Sumani said she came to Wales to study accountancy at a city college. | Ms Sumani said she came to Wales to study accountancy at a city college. |