Dubai: The family of a 99-year old woman on a ventilator at Rashid Hospital is appealing for help to meet the ballooning expenses of her hospital stay.
Wahida Changwaye, a UAE residence visa holder, was admitted to the hospital on February 14 this year owing to pneumonia and there was a gradual deterioration in her condition.
She was unable to breathe independently and was put on a ventilator.
Latifa Musa Salim, 66, her daughter, told Gulf News: ”My mother had suffered a stroke in 2009 and since then her health has been deteriorating. Initially, during her stroke she was admitted at Al Zahra Hospital in Sharjah. She recovered partially. But her health has been fragile since then until this pneumonia infection when we had to admit her at Rashid Hospital.”
Salim is divorced and is dependent for her upkeep on her son who is married and has a family to support.
Both Salim and Changwaye are sponsored by Salim’s son who is a salesman.
Salim also has a daughter in the UAE who is an administrative clerk and none of the children can afford the high cost of care required for their grandmother.
“I have no means of paying the mounting bills which are more than Dh700,000 already. On a daily basis the cost of the room and the medicines comes to approximately Dh5,000. I was advised to approach charities but everyone I approached has turned me away.“
Salim is willing to take her mother home and keep her on a home ventilator but says she cannot have her mother discharged unless the bills are cleared. “I am ready to look after my mother at home, but how can I get her home without settling the bills? To keep my mother at home, I require an additional Dh35,000 which is the cost of home ventilator as she cannot breathe independently,” said Salim.
