Riyadh: NRI from Bhatkal in coma for 9 months; hospital bill 5 lakh riyals

[email protected] (CD Network)
January 20, 2017

Bhatkal, Jan 20: A Kannadiga expatriate working with a courier company in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been lying comatose in the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh for nine months following a road accident, even as his family's efforts to bring him back to India have been stymied by the bill for treatment of about 5 lakh Saudi riyals.

1bhatkalMakde Abubakar, 40, from Shirur, near Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district, was hit by a speeding car while crossing the road. He was rushed to hospital and the driver fled the scene.

Since then, Abubakar has been speechless. His wife and four children, all less than 16 years, have been waiting patiently. "We have tried everything. We have to pay a huge sum of money to get him back but and we just don't have that kind of money.

His eldest son is with me in Bhatkal, my daughter keeps visiting me in anticipation of good news but I'm helpless," Abubakar's father-in-law Muhammed Ali said.

The family has been in constant touch with the Bhatkal Muslim Jamat in Riyadh, whose efforts too have been futile.

"Abubakar's sponsor was not in Riyadh when the accident happened and in Saudi Arabia, all documents of migrant workers need the sponsor's signature. In his absence, the hospital admitted him and Abu's relatives didn't understand the process," Dr Zaheer Kola, general secretary, Bhatkal Jamat, said.

He said the first three months passed with the family praying for his recovery. "Later, when they wanted to move him to India, the hospital said they had to clear bills of about 3.5 lakh riyals which they couldn't afford to pay. Now, the bill has gone up to about 5 lakh riyals," he said, adding that the hospital is just following its rules.

The Jamat gave representations to the Indian embassy . "While it received our file, there has been no action. The official first told us he would move the file on priority but even after 15 days, there's still no response," Kola said.

As a last resort, the family has got in touch with minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj, who has promised the family the MEA would intervene and sought details of Abubakar to be provided to the embassy in Saudi. She tweeted: `Pl ensure that he gets good treatment in the hospital' and tagged the Indian embassy in Riyadh.

With Thursday being a half-day and Friday and Saturday holidays, the Jamat will resubmit Abubakar's file to the embassy on Sunday . "We hope they let him come back," Ali said.

Comments

Muhibullah Sheikji
 - 
Sunday, 22 Jan 2017

This is really a sad news. Let us pray and hope that Allah will bless Janab Abubaker and his family. Let us pray with Allah to get all the issues solved and he be shifted to his family soon. May Allah bless Janab Abubaker with recovery and good heath.... aameen

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News Network
April 28,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 28: With fresh guidelines on the COVID-19 lockdown expected soon, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday chaired a meeting with key ministers, officials and Deputy Commissioners of districts and discussed about re-starting economic activities in the state, as he took stock about of the pandemic.

"At the video conference with DCs, CM took stock of COVID-19 situation and measures taken to control its spread. Discussions also happened regarding starting of certain economic activities in parts of the state," official sources said. The state government would take any decision in this regard after the Centre issues fresh guidelines or directives, they said, without elaborating.

The meeting came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conferencing with Chief Ministers to discuss the situation arising due to COVID-19 in the country, which is under lockdown since March 25 to contain the pandemic. Only nine chief ministers spoke in the virtual meeting with the Prime Minister and Yediyurappa did not get an opportunity.

A senior Minister, who attended the meeting told PTI, necessary directions regarding the lockdown after May 3, they were likely to come in a couple of days.

"Most of the Chief Ministers wanted the lockdown to continue to contain the spread.... nothing concrete emerged, but we expect the necessary directions will follow in couple of days. This is what we expect after seeing what has happened as a followup to three to four such video conferences in the past," he said.

The Minister said the larger opinion was that the current measures should continue and interstate or inter-district movement should not be allowed. Regarding movement within the districts that are green zone, some decision may be taken soon, he said, adding the Prime Minister also asked states to concentrate on reforms, aimed at attracting investments in the days to come.

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News Network
February 12,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 12: Mohammed Nalapad, the rogue son of Karnataka Congress leader NA Harris, who is out on bail in a 2018 case of him bashing up a man at a pub, has now rammed his luxury car into vehicles, injuring four people on Bengaluru road.

The incident took place on Sunday on the Ballari Road where Nalapad was rash driving his car. The car hit a biker and an autorickshaw, injuring four people. He immediately got off his car and fled riding a friend's car.

The biker has suffered a fracture in his leg and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to police, soon after the accident a man appeared before police to claim responsibility for the accident.

Ravikante Gowde, Joint Commissioner of Police said, "A man named Balakrishna came to surrender as the one who was driving the car. Investigation has, however, showed that it was Nalapad who was driving when he met with the accident. The investigating officer has issued him a notice to appear before the police."

BJP spokesperson S Prakash has said, "A case under the Goonda Act should be filed against Nalapad and the court should take cognisance of this and cancel his bail. The father has no control over son. He is a serial offender who is harming the public on a repeated basis."

Nalapad was earlier arrested in 2018 in the Bengaluru pub incident in which he and his associate bashed up the son of a prominent businessman in the city. Nalapad Harris is out on bail after remaining in judicial custody for three months in the case of attempt to murder after the 2018 midnight brawl.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 24,2020

Indore, Jul 24: A woman who sells fruits on a cart and who lashed out at municipal officials here has done PhD in Materials Science. Her siblings too are well educated and sell fruits as they did not find jobs.

Dr Raisa Ansari, who lives at Bakery Street in Pardeshipura with her family said she wanted to be a scientist but did not get a job anywhere.

Speaking to media persons, Raisa said, "I have done PhD in Materials Science and wanted to be a scientist but did not get job anywhere. I sell fruit here but the municipal officials are bothering us. We are being forced to move from here to there like cattle. Our religion may be the reason why we are not getting jobs but we are proud to be Indian. I am still looking for a job."

Dr Raisa's mother Ayesha Ansari said she herself is not educated, but has four children of whom three girls and one boy studied a lot but no one got job.

Speaking to media persons Ayesha said, "I have four children and they are well educated. I have not studied but all my children are educated but did not get job so all of them sell fruits."

"When the matter came to marriage, one of the daughters got married. Raisa and Shahjahan Bi wanted an educated boy, but they were not able to find a suitable match because of their complexion and sometimes they rejected the proposal because of dowry, so both are single. Two of my grandchildren are studying biology. They will become doctors," said Ayesha.

Meanwhile, people in the neighbourhood lauded the family's abilities. They said theirs was an educated family had to sell fruits as they did not get jobs.

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