Tragic Death of a Bethlehem University Student

During the Fall 2004 semester, Nadim Matar, 23 years old from Doha, Bethlehem, started feeling chest pain. It turned out that he was suffering from a viral infection in the heart muscle. Nadim traveled to Jordan for treatment at the expense of then President Yasser Arafat.

Jordanian doctors told Nadim that his heart was very week, and they only way out is to have a heart transplant.

Nadim returned to Bethlehem University to complete the semester while waiting for Hadassah Hospital, Israel, to do the heart transplant for him. After waiting for three days, the Israeli authorities granted him a permit to go to Hadassah hospital. The Israeli hospital installed for him an electrical machine to regulate his heart, but the first operation failed and they had to do it again. His health started improving and he went home to Doha, Bethlehem. Nadim left Hadassah hospital on Friday 14 January 2005.

On Sunday, 16 January, Nadim’s health deteriorated and he started coughing. Hadassah Hospital said that he must be brought in immediately. His family applied for a permit at about 10:30 AM. At around 1:00 PM the family was informed that the Israeli authorities will not grant him the needed permit to go to hospital. His family had informed the Israeli authorities that Nadim was in Hadassah Hospital a week before, and that his health condition was very critical and he had to be transferred to the Hospital again. Many parties intervened, including members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, but to no avail.

At around 4:30 PM the Israeli authorities allowed Nadim’s transfer in a Palestinian ambulance to the checkpoint in Beit Jala, where he was transferred to an Israeli ambulance. Nadim died in the Israeli ambulance shortly before reaching the hospital.

Three days earlier, Nadim’s father had come to Bethlehem University and received his son’s B.A. Degree in Business Administration.