Police called to Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital over blood test

MONTREAL – A father of three claims his 9-year old daughter was denied service at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital.

Unaiza Ali Bhatti suffers from a thyroid problem and her doctor prescribed blood tests last Friday after noticing she’s been losing weight.

“The doctor emphasized the urgency of the blood sample on that day because she has to adjust the dosage of my daughter after seeing the reports,” her father Abdul Waheed Ahmed said.

When they walked into the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital late Friday, the nurse apparently said they had only two minutes to draw blood. Her father admits his daughter was nervous.

“She was afraid of being punctured, like other kids, with the needles,” said Ahmed, who insists calmed down within minutes.

But the nurses in question gave a different version of events.

“She was very agitated, very scared,” said nurses’ union president Sylvie Boulet, “so they suggested the family come back later, on Monday.”

Unaiza’s father admits she was scared but insists she was cooperating when they were asked to leave. That’s when he started recording video with his phone, video he said police later warned him not to share online.

The nurses are clearly heard asking him to stop recording and then threatening to call police if he continued.

“Even in the video she has given three versions. First, she said because you are taking my picture, then she said you hurt your son. Then she said, ‘you hurt your daughter’,” Ahmed said.

When security guards arrived, they also asked him to delete the footage and when he refused, police were called to the scene.

“The father was really upset and slapped his daughter quite hard in the back of the head,” Boulet said, a claim Ahmed adamantly denies.

“For me, my daughter is very important. Her health is very important so I’m concerned about that,” he said, adding that police interviewed and even examined her for bruises before letting the family go.

Montreal police confirm officers arrived at the hospital shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.

They questioned staff members and the entire family, who are still shaken by the incident.

“I’m feeling very bad, sad, worried,” said Unaiza’s mother, Jauwarriah Yasmeen, who immigrated from Pakistan with her children in September.

Unaiza went back to the hospital Monday afternoon and was finally able to get the blood test, with another nurse.