Good news for terminally ill Arne Benjaminsen.
NEW YORK (Nettavisen): terminally ill Arne Benjaminsen (80) is connected to a respirator in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Argentina, and now the Norwegian embassy has decided to take the bill.
On Friday, Nettavisen was able to tell the story of the Norwegian Arne Benjaminsen who is affected by incurable cancer that was discovered in connection with him being infected with the coronavirus in Buenos Aires in Argentina in September last year.
– The hospital calls us almost every day and asks that we either pay them more money, or that we plug Dad off the respirator, Are’s son, Guillermo Benjaminsen (27), told Nettavisen.
Read the case: – The hospital is forcing us to either pay more money or let Dad die
Watch a video interview of the son and photos of Arne from the hospital:
Guillermo also stated that they owed the hospital more than 50,000 kroner, after the Norwegian embassy had decided to terminate an earlier agreement they had to be an intermediary for Helfo, so that the family did not have to pay for hospital stays.
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Has received an email from the embassy
Now the son of Nettavisen states that they have received an email from the embassy that they will still take the bill for the hospital stay, until a certain date.
– We have received an e-mail from Consul Mona Budal at the Norwegian Embassy in Buenos Aires. She states that the embassy will cover the costs of the hospital stay until 31 March. This was obviously due to the pressure through the media, so we are very grateful that you mentioned the case, Guillermo says to Nettavisen.
Got infected with the coronavirus at the hospital
Arne Benjaminsen was admitted to hospital in September last year, in connection with being infected with the coronavirus. According to his son, he became infected with the virus in connection with visiting the hospital with back problems.
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Because his health condition deteriorated, Arne Benjaminsen was connected to a respirator in October last year, and the 80-year-old remained in the intensive care unit until mid-December last year. At the same time, the Norwegian embassy decided to terminate an agreement they had to pay for the hospital stay, and informed the family that from now on they had to pay for the hospital stay themselves and then get the money refunded by Helfo.
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Discovered incurable cancer
At the same time as Arne was disconnected from the respirator, the doctors also discovered that the 80-year-old had incurable cancer. On the basis of this, the embassy decided to still pay for Benjaminsen’s hospital stay, so that they did not have to pay and ask for a refund from Helfo.
In an email from the embassy that Nettavisen has been given access to, the embassy writes that the arrangement for posting for his hospital stay will apply until the family was informed to the contrary.
In mid-January this year, Arne Benjaminsen finally returned home from the hospital. But the joy was short-lived.
On February 23 this year, Arne became ill again, and the family therefore decided to visit the hospital again. According to the son, they were then informed that the arrangement with the embassy had ceased and that from now on they had to pay for the hospital stay themselves.
– Impossible for us to post such sums
– When we arrived at the hospital with dad, they told us that the embassy had now terminated the previous scheme because dad had contracted incurable cancer, and that from now on we had to pay for all the expenses ourselves, and then seek reimbursement from Helfo, Guillermo says.
– But it was impossible for us. It can cost 6-700,000 a month to have dad in that hospital and get the treatment he needs. Who can post such sums themselves and then apply for a refund? Guillermo stated to Nettavisen.
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The family agreed with the hospital that they could pay the risk in exchange for paying 10,000 kroner in the first instance.
Not long ago, the family paid an additional 10,000 kroner to the hospital, but were informed that they sent the hospital around 50,000 kroner, money they could not afford to spend.
– On the one hand, the hospital says that they want more money to keep dad in the intensive care unit. On the other hand, they’re trying to convince us to disconnect Dad from the ventilator and just let him die. They push us to choose. It is very sad, Guillermo told Nettavisen.
Sjømannsforbundet: – Hair travelers
The online newspaper was also in contact with the Norwegian Seamen’s Association, which reacted strongly to the treatment Arne Benjaminsen had received.
– What has happened in the case with Arne Benjaminsen is quite hair-raising and I understand the son very well, said case officer Bjørg Borger in the Norwegian Seamen’s Association to Nettavisen.
Borger believes that the embassy in Argentina and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs abdicate responsibility in this case, and points out that the case is divided into two parts.
– One is the decision from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to assist in such cases, it is in itself worrying. Those who are members of Folketrygden will be covered for hospital stays without having to pay for it themselves first. It may not be the case that you have to pay for hospital stays yourself first, because in many cases it is extremely expensive. In the extreme, you can then lose your life by not being able to afford to pay for hospital treatment, says Borger.
– The second is the behavior of the embassy towards a person they know is seriously ill. I react very strongly to the fact that they first confirmed that they would cover his expenses because he was so very ill, and then withdraw the support a couple of months later, and that it happens without them notifying the family. Here, the embassy could assist and find an arrangement with Helfo, says Borger to Nettavisen.
She calls the entire instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand that you pay for hospital stays and then have to ask for a refund from Helfo afterwards is very worrying.
– A partial victory
Although the son is very grateful that the embassy now takes the bill until March 31, he is very unsure of what will happen afterwards.
– The fact that the embassy takes the bill until 31 March is a partial victory for us. But my father will probably need treatment beyond March 31, and he may need other hospitalizations due to cancer even after this date. Thus, we can quickly end up back in the same situation we were in a couple of days ago, says Guillermo Benjaminsen to Nettavisen.
Nettavisen has tried to contact Consul Mona Budal at the Norwegian Embassy in Buenos Aires for comments, but she has not yet responded to Nettavisen’s inquiry.
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