A doctor from Sudan is unable to return to work at a Brooklyn hospital because of President Donald Trump's order banning certain travel from seven mostly Muslim nations. NY1's Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.
The interns and residents at Interfaith Medical Center are rallying for one of their own. Dr. Kamal Fadlalla is a second year resident in internal medicine at the Bedford-Stuyvesant hospital. He returned home to Sudan for vacation earlier this month but now can't return to Brooklyn because of President Trump's executive order barring travel from seven mostly Muslim nations.
"He's one of the best residents we have. He goes beyond his duty hours to be of help to his patients. He's an advocate for his patients for their rights," said Sumid Dahal, a medical resident at Interfaith Medical Center.
Fadlalla has been living in Crown Heights for nearly two years, in housing Interfaith provides its residents. Sumid Dahal is one of his neighbors.
"He's very upset about the situation. There's this anxiety. There's a deep sense of fear about the unknown," Dahal said.
Third year resident Dr. Mazin Khalid, holding a sign that says "I am taking care of your mom...but I can't go see mine", is fearful too. His mother lives in Sudan. Although he has a green card, he's reluctant to travel out of the United States.
"The plan was for me to go back this April or they would come to my graduation in June. But after the executive order right now I'm definitely not going out because things are rapidly changing. Although I'm a permanent resident but I don't know what's going to happen. And for them to come after this ban, that's not going to happen," Khalid said.
The majority of those doing a residency at Interfaith are immigrants. They say it's a dream and a sacrifice to study medicine in the U.S.
"A lot of examination tests, and a lot of costs involved in those tests and then you have to go through all these visa processing things," Dahal added.
But with the president's executive order, there is concern an important source of new doctors will be cut off, affecting operations at the hospital and others.
"It separates families, doctors from their patients and employees from their companies as well," said Dr. Osama Mukhtar, a medical resident at Interfaith Medical Center.
It's a separation Fadlalla hopes will be resolved quickly with the help of his immigration lawyer. Patients, projects and his Interfaith family are waiting for his return.