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
January 3,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 3: Mangaluru police arrested another person on charge of spreading communal hatred through messages. The accused have been identified as Abubakkar Siddique (48).

"One Abubakkar Siddique has been arrested in connection with a case for spreading communal hatred through inciting messages," said Dr PS Harsha, commissioner of police, Mangaluru.

On December 31, Police have arrested one person, Moideen Hameez, on charge of spreading communal hatred through social media.

The Mangaluru city police on Monday served notices to a few persons for posting inflammatory messages on social media.

The Cyber Crime police have summoned the accused persons to appear before it on January 2.

"Action against miscreants spreading communal hatred on social media underway in a major way. A dedicated team of cyber experts is keeping a hawk's eye on anyone fomenting communal disharmony anywhere on the internet," Harsha said in another tweet.

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News Network
June 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 8: More than two months after the nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, people offered prayers at Bengaluru's Saint Mary's Church and Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple as the government has allowed reopening of religious places from today.

Fewer devotees here visited Saint Mary's Church in Shivaji Nagar and were seen maintaining social distancing inside the church premises.

Meanwhile, people queued outside Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple at Basavanagudi to offer prayers in the wee hours of Monday.

Floor markings have been made here to maintain social distancing.

Social distancing norms are also being followed in Hubli's Nagashetty Koppa where only a few devotees thronged the temple on Monday morning.

In Kalaburagi's Sharana Basaveshwara Temple the visiting hours for devotees have been fixed from 7 am to 10 am and three hours in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Thermal screening is being conducted here and a disinfectant tunnel has also been installed at the entry point.

Floor markings have also been made here to ensure social distancing while barricades have also been installed on the temple premises.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Mar 5: The government on Thursday asserted that there is no shortage of raw ingredients or medicines in the country as it has taken various initiatives to tackle the challenge posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

All initiatives are also being taken to ensure that there is no impact of the disease in India, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said.

"There is no shortage of any APIs in the country. We have sufficient APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) and medicines in the country," he said.

Gowda was addressing the 5th international exhibition and conference on the pharmaceutical and medical industry organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Gujarat government and industry chamber Ficci here.

For another three months there is no shortage for undertaking production in the pharma sector, he added.

"Our government has taken all initiatives to ensure that as far as our country is concerned the coronavirus should be stopped, and there is no hazard as far as this issue is concerned," Gowda reiterated.

Coronavirus is a challenge and "we should make all efforts that need to be taken..., " he added.

On Tuesday, India, the world's largest maker of generic drugs, restricted the export of common medicines such as paracetamol and 25 other pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs made from them, as it looks to prevent shortages amid concerns of the coronavirus outbreak turning into a pandemic.

Besides over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer paracetamol, drugs restricted for exports included common antibiotics metronidazole, and those used to treat bacterial and other infections as well as Vitamin B1 and B12 ingredients.

A notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had said the export of 26 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations would require licence.

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