Dubai A jobless Bangladeshi is stranded in Dubai with a big kidney stone that could cause permanent damage if it’s not removed immediately.
But Roman Insan Miah, 23, can’t undergo surgery as he has no money to pay for it and he can’t return to his home country as his employer has absconded with his passport.
Miah checked into a private medical clinic for a sharp stabbing pain in his lower abdomen last May. An X-ray revealed a big kidney stone.
The news could not have come at a worse time for Miah who had resorted to scavening after losing his job as a helper.
“I don’t know what to do now. I can’t go back because my boss has run away with my passport and I can’t afford the treatment because I have no money,” said Miah whose condition is deteriorating by the day. “The pain is getting more severe. Sometimes it is so bad that I scream all night, disturbing the sleep of my roommates.”
Unable to bear the agony, Miah visited another hospital last week and was urged to undergo surgery immediately.
But he can’t even afford the discounted rates offered by the hospital. “Even after the discount, the surgery will cost me around Dh6,000. Where is this money going to come from? It’s been over a year since I was last paid,” said Miah who relocated to the UAE a couple of years ago and is the sole breadwinner of his family. Now Miah makes a living by selling empty cans which he picks from trash bins. “A kilo of empty cans fetches me around Dh4,” he said.
Miah said he has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Labour explaining his situation and seeking an immediate repatriation to Bangladesh. “However, they ask me to bring my passport. How can I bring it when I don’t have it?” he wonders.
Those who want to help Miah may write to editor@xpress4me.com
