Indian man needed life-saving surgery after suffering stroke
Dubai: A man who has been left partially paralysed following a stroke has been stuck in hospital for the past four months as he is unable to pay his Dh100,000 bill.
The middle-aged Indian underwent life-saving brain surgery at Rashid Hospital. However, his sponsor, Roy Pereira, cannot be found.
Maxwell Donald Pereira, 56, who was supervisor of the Namaste and Vegas clubs at the Holiday Inn, Bur Dubai, suffered a stroke on January 17 that left his left side paralysed. He was taken to Rashid Hospital’s emergency department where surgeons had to remove a bone flap from his cranium, which now needs to be surgically replaced.
According to Salah Khalil Abdul Qader, from the case management department at the hospital, since then Pereira’s condition has stabilised although he cannot walk and is dependent on others.
The doctors have deemed him fit to travel to India (with a nurse.) Nurses at the hospital said the bone flap, which has been refrigerated, can be replaced in another operation that can be carried out once he reaches his home in Mumbai. But he needs a special helmet to encase his fragile head, and the bone flap that has been removed needs to be taken in a special container with a constant temperature at -60 degree. This, along with the cost of tickets, comes to around Dh35,000 to Dh40,000.
“I want to go home, I want to see my mum,” says Pereira who has poor control of his head and limbs.
Pereira has been in Dubai since 1978 and has always worked in the hospitality sector. He is estranged from his wife and 22-year-old son, who have refused to take responsibility for him. His elderly mother has called several friends begging them to help. He had a health card issued but it does not cover the expenses.
According to Feras Murad, public relations manager of the Holiday Inn-Embassy District, Bur Dubai: “Maxwell Pereira was an employee of the clubs that Roy Pereira subleased from us. On compassionate grounds we are ready to meet the travel expenses. However, we are not liable to pay the hospital expenses which should be paid by Roy. The club owner owes us Dh1 million in rent and the clubs have been closed down since then.”
Manish Shigwan, a former cashier at the club and Pereira’s colleague, said that the visas of all the employees had been cancelled but they had not received salaries for the past two months and had no money to travel back home.
Gulf News made enquires at Roy’s offices, but the clubs were closed and despite several attempts to call him, he did not respond.
