OFW gets royal treatment from Saudi employer

Amid tales of abuses against Filipino workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a Filipina worker has returned to the Philippines telling the story of the royal treatment she had enjoyed from her Arab employer despite her illness. Marilou Lorenzo Ramirez, 41, returned to the country over the weekend after undergoing an operation for a brain hemorrhage, with her expenses shouldered by her boss. “We are very grateful for the support of Ramirez’s sponsor and the good doctors for not giving up on her case," said Philippine Embassy official in Riyadh David Des Dicang, in an article posted on Saudi-based news site Arab News. In 2008, Ramirez was hired as a housemaid by Khaled Abdul Qader, a senior planner at Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) in Jubail. She worked in the household for a year and won the hearts of Abdul Qader’s family with her dedication and hard work, but a brain hemorrhage paralyzed her five months ago. Abdul Qader first took her to Al-Mouwasat Hospital and shouldered the expenses for her treatment. He then requested the Ministry of Health to get her treated at a government-run hospital. Ramirez was transferred to King Fahd Hospital in Hofuf where doctors felt there was an immediate need to conduct an operation on her, but they needed the permission from Ramirez’s relatives in the Philippines. Abdul Qader contacted Ramirez’s daughter, Saramy Amando, in Antipolo City in Rizal province east of Manila. The daughter gave her consent, and the doctors, consulting neurosurgeon Abdul Mohsen Nasser Al-Mulhim and neurosurgeons Ahmed Zaitoni and Essam Mohammed, performed the operation successfully. “The doctors said it was a very difficult and delicate operation, and its success was nothing short of a miracle," said the head nurse at the hospital. “The Filipino medical staff at King Fahd Hospital has nothing but praise for the hospital management, doctors and her employer for not giving up. It is our prayer that Ramirez will get closer to her full recovery with each day that goes by," Dicang said. Ramirez left for the Philippines from Dammam on Saturday night via Saudi Arabian Airlines with two nurse escorts. Abdul Qader paid for the fare – in business class - and also paid for medicines and a wheelchair. “As per our office request, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Manila coordinated with the family of Ramirez to provide her special airport assistance upon arrival in the Philippines and also to see how she can be covered with disability and medical benefits back home," Dicang said. Dicang saw Ramirez off at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. For his part, Abdul Qader said he was happy to see Ramirez smile. “I am happy to see her smile. She will take some time to recover. Whatever we did, we saw it as our duty to help her in her difficult times," he said. “She is a wonderful person. I have three children. They are all grown and are abroad. My wife and I were the ones she was helping. We felt bad when she fell ill," he added. “I have tried my best to provide all possible help. As per her daughter’s advice I will send her dues to her daughter. I wish her well. The doctors at the hospital did a wonderful job. Alhamdulillah! She survived, and we wish her complete recovery," he said. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV