Hoskins made the announcement yesterday. The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care said doctors at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, one of the most renowned children’s hospital in the world, were contacted by American surgeons about critically ill children. These kids were scheduled to have surgery in the U.S. but are now prohibited from travelling there because of the travel ban.
Most of these children, some as young as four-months-old, need specialized cardiac surgery or they will die. It is intended these children will be operated on at the Hospital for Sick Children, or SickKids as it is commonly referred to, or at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. The Ottawa hospital is a well-known pediatric health and research centre.
The Hospital for Sick Children issued a statement yesterday saying the hospital is prepared to undertake case-by-case assessments but are not yet in a position to make any commitments. Details of any future commitments will not be made public due to patient privacy.
On Jan. 27, President Trump signed an executive order banning travel from seven Middle East countries: Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. The travel ban was put in place for a period of 90 days barring the entry of these sick children and their families.
In addressing the media yesterday, Hoskins said Ontario is fortunate to have high-quality pediatric hospitals and it seems natural to accept these children. He said, “This is what Canada believes in, helping where we can, helping vulnerable children from around the world.” Hoskins also said he was unaware of any other jurisdiction offering to help these children.
Ontario has had humanitarian programs for years to treat children from third world countries who will die if they cannot receive immediate treatment in the West. The most well-known of these programs is The Herbie Fund that provides treatment to about 30 children every year. Hoskins said, “We do it from time to time in different ways, so we’re confident we have the ability to provide Sick Kids with whatever support they need.”
It is not known how many children had been scheduled for operations in the U.S. but are now banned from entry but there have been “several requests” from American doctors. The U.S. Department of State can issue waivers exempting people from the travel ban but it is also unknown if any waivers were granted in cases of extremely ill children.
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Hoskins said he has already spoken with the federal government and they are prepared to expedite visas so the children and their families can enter Canada.
Prior the entering politics in 2009, Hoskins spent a decade providing medical treatment to people in war-torn areas of Africa and other places around the world.
