OFW in coma racks up P2.4M in Dubai hospital bills

A Filipino in coma for nearly three months following a brain hemorrhage lies in limbo at a private hospital in the United Arab Emirates, with post-surgery bills reaching 210,000 dirhams (P2.4 million), news site Gulf News reported Thursday. Jose Elmer Leonard Castro, 46, who worked as a heavy equipment painter at Arcom, was admitted to Cedars Jebel Ali International Hospital on May 12 after he suffered an intra-cerebral hemorrhage, the report said. The doctors performed a life-saving neurosurgical intervention after Castro was wheeled into the hospital’s emergency ward, it added. Gulf News said he was immediately transferred to another private hospital in Sharjah for decompression craniotomy and evacuation of the hemorrhage. He was kept in the internal care unit on artificial ventilation. “While his insurance company paid for the emergency treatment and surgery, they declined to pay for the treatment at the Sharjah hospital as they [insurer] did not have a contract with the hospital," according to the report. So Castro was transferred back to Cedars on May 24, Gulf News said, noting that with post-operative care not covered by his insurer, Castro has run up a bill of 210,000 dirhams (P2.4 million). Impossible to pay The report quoted his wife Annette, a street food vendor and part-time dressmaker in San Fernando, Pampanga, as saying that it is “impossible" for her to pay the hospital bills. “My husband was our main breadwinner," she said. “He used to send us between 12,000 pesos and 13,000 pesos, most of which went towards our children’s expenses and education." Her three children now depend on charity to go to school, according to the report. Repatriation “While Castro is now reacting to speech, he is only able to display minimum movement by squeezing someone’s hand and nodding. His doctors said further rehabilitation may take months, if not years," the report said. Philippine Consulate in Dubai officials said they will facilitate Castro’s repatriation as he is a member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). “We have made requests to OWWA and other charities for financial help to settle his bills," said Amilbahar Amilasan, a consulate official, in the report. Dr. Guenther Kieninger, surgery department head and medical director of Cedars, said Castro is now “fit to travel but needs a nurse to accompany him during flight." He also said the patient would need continuous medication to stabilize his blood pressure and physiotherapy to strengthen his bones and muscles. “We believe that being with his family will be good for his continuous recovery," he added. "Should the repatriation take place any time, we will not hold the patient for the unpaid bills," Kieninger said. The costs incurred will be considered as a hospital loss. — JE, GMA News