After 8 days detention, Lebanese hospital frees Syrian newborn as costs covered

(Zaman Al Wasl)- A Syrian newborn who had been taken hostage by a Lebanese hospital as  his displaced family could not pay the last $1200 of treatment expenses, has been freed on Monday, activists said.

Mohamed Qassab, Syrian activist based in Lebanon, said Syrian and Lebanese benefactors have paid the last payment of treatment costs.

Family of Mohamed Issa al Kholi, who fled the central Syrian town of Krak des Chevaliers to Lebanese city of Akkar, has found no assistance so far to get the baby out of the hospital after 8 days of 'detention', according to activists.  

On Sunday, a British woman contacted  Zaman Al Wasl offering help to cover the treatment costs .

UNHCR has covered 75% of the treatment costs and Lebanese Islamic society paid $ 1000, family said.

 Kholi's case was not the first inhumane abuse against Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Last February, another Lebanese hospital held an infant 'captive' until his death as his family was unable to pay the expenses.

About 13.5 million people in Syria are now in need of humanitarian assistance and some sort of protection –an increase of 1.2 million in just 10 months, the UN aid chief said.

Since 2011, four million Syrians have fled abroad. Millions more have been internally displaced, while at least 250,000 have been killed.