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TRANSLATED FROM:
http://www.hoyinternet.com/noticias/loc ... 9265.story

Governor accuses Hospital of violating the Law.


Illinois -- Governor Rod Blagojevich accused the hospital of the University of Illinois in Chicago of "violating the law" upon refusing an undocumented boy, that enjoys the medical insurance All Kids, the access to a kidney transplant that would be able to save his life.

In an emphatic way, Blagojevich said, during a press conference last Wednesday and in Spanish the following: "Medical insurance for all children means medical insurance for all children", and indicated that all, with disregard to their status or their parents status, they have the right to health care benefits under the law that establishes medical insurance All Kids.

"And if the University of Illinois in Chicago is rejecting this boy, it is violating the law, and we are going to work to make sure they (the hospital) comply with what the law says", he added.

His statement refers to the case of Omar Castillo, a Mexican undocumented boy of 18 years of age (that would make him an adult) , whose mother and brothers were deportedand who since three years ago receives dialysis.

Before Blagojevich's statement, Sherri McGuinnis-González, spokesman for the hospital of the University of Illinois in Chicago, said that by rules of confidentiality they could not comment on the specific case of Omar. Nevertheless, "I can say that the organ transplants imply post-operation medical care whose cost can reach up to $30.000 a year and we have to assure us that the patients guarantee that they will continue with the medical indications for life".

McGuinnis said that this implies an exhaustive evaluation of the patient's potential. "If he does not qualify, we have a department that can help him explore alternative resource sources or private funds, and if there is an undocumented patient, he can still have a transplant if he has the necessary funds for his treatment and post operating care".

Her statements confirm has is expressed by the Division of Transplants of that hospital to Hoy obtained by means of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from June of the present year, where it indicated that "the transplant program will not examine, register or proceed whith a transplant of an undocumented immigrant".

In the cited document it adds that "The hospital will not carry out transplants to undocumented immigrants or foreign resident that do not qualify for health insurance ".


According to the regulations of All Kids, established by governor Blagojevich and initiated officially in July of 2006, the program provides integral medical insurance to all the children without importance to his family income, legal status or health condition.

Annie Thompson, spokesman for the Health Care Department and Family Services of Illinois (DHFS), declared to Hoy that "we want to emphasize that All Kids is for 'all children' (…) DHFS aid is for the hard-working families of Illinois to obtain health coverage so they can be healthy and that includes coverage of procedures for organ transplats".

At the same time he adds: "Nevertheless, to provide those services remains the discretion of the hospitals, and corresponds to the doctors to decide who is eligible for an organ transplant procedure".


Castillo, who will turn 19 years of age on August 9, will continue to receive services by means of All Kids until he turns 21.

The youth expressed that his desire is to enjoy the same opportunity of Govani Muñoz, a latin American youth of West Chicago who also is the beneficiary of All Kids, and managed to ge a kidney donated by his mother, in that hospital, and who now enjoys good health.

"It was a miracle of God", said Lucia Ã