ABU DHABI A 24-year-old Indian salesman who has undergone lung surgery in a private hospital in Abu Dhabi is seeking help to cover the treatment cost. Shakeer Abdullah Nechipadupppu from Kerala has a bill of about Dh50,000 at Universal Hospital where he was admitted with spontaneous pneumothorax (an abnormal collection of air in the space between the lungs and chect cavity) causing severe breathing difficulty.
“My employer has not provided me with health insurance coverage and they have not responded to my desperate calls for help,” Nechipaduppu told XPRESS from the hospital bed.
He has worked as a salesman for a sportswear shop for two years for a salary of Dh2,200.
“My friends have borrowed heavily to pay the initial Dh20,000 deposit. It is not enough to cover the medical cost. I don’t know what to do,” said a desperate Nechipaduppu.
He was first admitted to the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City after he complained of chest pain and
He was referred to Ahalia Hospital in Abu Dhabi, where he was kept under observation before being moved to Universal Hospital last week.
“He was brought here in a critical condition with tubes inserted through his chest.
“Though he had no medical insurance, we accepted the patient on humanitarian grounds,” said a hospital spokesperson.
Muneer Pandyala, a social worker who is helping Nechipaduppu, said he has written to the Indian embassy seeking financial aid from the Indian Community Welfare Fund.
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