Ill worker to fly home

Dubai: A mentally unstable worker has been taken out of hospital and sent to a deportation cell as his hospital bill has exceeded Dh1,300, which he cannot afford to pay, sources said.

The Bangladeshi worker had been suffering from psychological problems and was admitted into the psychiatric ward for some time, the hospital source said. When the bill went up more than Dh1,300 the man was sent to the deportation cell. "His friend used to pay the hospital bill, but stopped paying after some time," the source said.

The worker had serious psychological problems and used to cry for no reason and imagined things happening to him. "He used to ask all the time for his money. He used to imagine that others were taking his money," the source said.

The mentally unstable worker entered the country on a visit visa to work for a company in Dubai. "When the worker fell ill the sponsor reported him as a run-away to the Naturalisation and Residency Department, so we had to send him to the deportation cell," he said.

The worker was handed on Sunday to the deportation cell. "He will leave for Bangladesh today," the source said. The source said the man will be given a tranquiliser before he boards the flight home. "We have to do that because airlines usually refuse to let mentally ill people to be on board alone. They must be escorted," the source said.