Paralysed Indian worker flown back from UAE

A 54-year-old Indian worker who was left completely paralysed after an accident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been flown back to India and reunited with his family.

Gurmej Singh reached his home in Punjab on Saturday evening, said Prasad Sreedharan, a social worker with a medical committee constituted by the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

The Indian Consulate took prompt action and immediately issued a stretcher ticket for the patient from Dubai to Delhi and on to Amritsar, the Khaleej Times reported on Monday.

Singh, who had just been five days into his job as a mason with a Ras Al Khaimah contracting company, was travelling in a minivan with fellow workers when the accident took place.

"All my fellow workers sustained different injuries but the impact of the accident left me completely paralysed," Singh said.

The accident put Singh in a tight spot regarding medical bills and visa issues.

The hospital bill has reached 125,000 dirhams ($34,000), said Sreedharan adding that "the legal firm involved in the case has given an undertaking to the hospital to pay that amount".

Singh's visa had also expired and he overstayed for five days.

--IANS

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