Czech hospital to be paid for care for diseased Romany prince

Janalik said the Romanian health insurance company had confirmed earlier today that the boy was insured with it.

Although the hospital has not published the sum, it may have reached one million crowns over the two weeks of treatment.

"There is only one, state-owned health insurance company in Romania. We addressed it and the answer came today that the boy was insured with it," Janalik said.

Children and youths under 18 are insured under law in Romania.

The boy was in the intensive care ward from July 22 till August 3, but for all the doctors' effort he died from the drowning.

The Romanian health insurance company has sent a special form to the Centre for International Reimbursement on the basis of which the money will be transferred.

The accident happened when the boy was driving with his father, Romany king Dimofte who rules about 1500 Romanies in Romania, to a meeting in Berlin.

His relatives and friends from Romania and other countries arrived in Prague when they learnt about his hospitalisation in order to support him.

The widely-publicised case caused some tension as a group of about 50 Romanies were staying in a park outside the hospital and later in different places in Prague. Some anti-Romany groupings tried to use it for their purposes.

(USD1=18.005 crowns)

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz