Her stage four cancer has spread to her lungs and one of her lungs has already collapsed. Clifford Fernandes, her only child cannot afford to keep her in hospital or have her discharged due to her condition. He would like to bring her back home to Goa for treatment but this is turning out to be complicated and costlier than he had ever imagined.
Clifford stays in Abu Dhabi and works in the sales section of a hotel. He travels back and forth and has taken emergency leave for one
month to care for his mother. His earnings go towards his family’s daily expenses. He has a ten month-old daughter to care for and his wife is
six months pregnant.
His mother was diagnosed
with breast cancer in 2010
and was operated in Mumbai.
She has been visiting her
son over the years. When she
visited Clifford’s cousins in
Dubai this year they took her
to the hospital when they noticed
her heavy breathing.
Hospital bills have
mounted to more than AED
135,000 (approx Rs 22 lakh) and will soar further.
The family has taken a decision to send
her back to Goa as medical expenses are too
high and insurance isn’t covering it either.
If brought back to Goa by flight, Rosalind will
require a portable ventilator and a medical
team to accompany her. She will need to be
transferred directly to the hospital. Clifford expects
this will cost him nothing less than AED
60,000 (approx Rs 9 lakh). The hospital insists
that they send their own doctor to accompany
Rosalind.
Few airlines want to take the risk and the
family has narrowed down on Air India as this
is the only direct flight to Goa which allows a
stretcher case to be taken. The airlines in turn
have to seek approvals and clearances from
Dubai airport authorities and the health ministry.
The complicated procedure and delay is
taking a toll on the family. Each day that Rosalind
spends on hospital costs the family AED
4200 (approx Rs 69,000).
Clifford says churches in Dubai and Sharjah
have donated some money and are helping
liaise with the insurance company and the
hospital for a settlement. An important lesson
he learnt, he says, is to do quarterly checkups
after the required cancer treatment. His
mother couldn’t have her regular check-up
and the family never expected her cancer to
spread so rapidly.
