Ajman: When a baby enters the life of a young couple, it’s usually a time of great joy and celebration, but for the Rukshan family, this joy is overshadowed by hefty medical bills and worries about finding some means to pay them.
Nalin Rukshan, 30, cannot bring his son Thumira home from the GMC hospital in Ajman because of unpaid bills.
He is beside himself with worry as the medical bills mount despite the staff at the hospital being very understanding.
The baby boy, who was born prematurely on April 17, is recuperating in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The baby boy is a first for the family, but the fact that he was born prematurely, precipitates the need for proper medical care around the clock and an incubator for an extended period.
“I have got to pay more than Dh89,000 to the hospital,” said Rukshan, a Sri Lankan national who works as a sale associate.
“I am based in Dubai but I rushed my wife to the GMC Hospital in Ajman as it will cost me less than Dubai ,The GMC hospital had a bed available, When I told them that I did not have enough money they made discount of Dh4,300 and asked to keep my wife’s passport as a guarantee. The cost of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is Dh4,000 per day per baby. Taking pity on my poor financial situation the doctors did not charge me for the cost of the medicines,”
The only payment he has made so far is Dh56,000 but he needs to pay the remaining amount.
Rukshan said that he had contacted a Sri Lankan charity association which paid Dh5,000 to reduce their burden.
He said he has sold all of the couple’s jewellry and with some money received from hiw wife’s family in Sri Lanka had settled initial payment of Dh65,000.00 (including mother’s delivery charges and part of baby’s hospital bills).
They still need about another Dh.30,000.00 to pay the balance amount.
Hospital bill accumulates daily as their baby is still in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of GMC Hospital in Ajman.
