Does sponsorship include surgical operations overseas?
Question
There is a girl in our orphanage who suffers from erosion of the white brain matter. The disease causes progressive health deterioration and eventually death—Allah is the One who appoints the time of death. After the consultant physician at the orphanage examined her, he affirmed that she can be cured by a surgical operation conducted in the Czech Republic. Surgical operations may either fail or succeed, and in all cases, the cure is by the will of Allah the Almighty. For this reason, we would like to know whether it is permissible for the orphanage to approve the girl's travel to undergo the operation or if this is considered wasting the orphans' money that we have been entrusted with? Is better to help the other orphans with this money? Please note that the orphanage's resources allow the girl's treatment overseas.
Answer
Sponsoring orphans includes seeing to their moral affairs such as upbringing, guidance and education, as well as to their material affairs such as food, drink, clothing, housing, transportation, pocket money and medical care [both for diagnosis and medications]. All of the above expenses are included under the sponsorship of an orphan without exception except when resources are inadequate and the abilities reduced. In such a case, it is necessary to temporarily prioritize what is most important for the orphan as well as what is within the sponsor's abilities until matters are resolved.
The ruling
Based on the above and in reference to the question, since the orphanage has enough resources to cover the expenses of the girl's journey and treatment, it must pay without hesitation and without having any feelings of being inequitable towards the other orphans. The case is similar to parents' behavior towards a sick son; they spare no effort to treat him with all the available means.
The orphanage must first consult medical experts in our country on the possibility of the girl's treatment both inside and outside Egypt and compare the two options with honesty and accuracy.
Allah the Almighty knows best.