Indian seeks amnesty from hospital bed in UAE

Umm Al Quwain - He cannot speak coherently and suffers from memory loss.

A 48-year-old Indian national who cannot walk, or even move his legs, seeks to benefit from the ongoing UAE amnesty campaign 'Protect yourself by rectifying your status'.
Former businessman and Kerala-native Sunil Chellappan, suffering from oesophagal varices, was hospitalised at Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) Hospital for low hemoglobin last month, around the time his visa expired. He has been living undocumented ever since. Chellappan was admitted to the government hospital after he displayed severe symptoms such as extreme vomiting, light-headedness and loss of consciousness.
The UAQ Hospital medical staff also confirmed that Chellappan is a recovering alcoholic, and he needs to undergo treatment for alcohol addiction. The 48-year-old weighs only 49kg and cannot walk, or move his legs. He needs physiotherapy and a wide range of other treatments.
"He was discharged 10 days ago. However, no one is there to take care of him. He will stay at the hospital, till he gets amnesty," a nurse-in-charge told about Chellappan's case.
The medical staff said Sunil needs a lot of care since he cannot speak coherently and suffers from memory loss. "It is a sign of recovering from alcohol intoxication. He needs to be with his family at the moment," added the nurse.
Sunil said: "I will never consume alcohol again. I want to head back home to my family." His business stopped giving him profits and has been suffering for the last one year. Chellappan's older brother Anil told Khaleej Times that the family realised he was an addict last year.
"He was fine till 2016. Last year, he began drinking heavily and would not eat any food," he said. Furthermore, Chellappan raked hospital bills up to Dh20,000, which was waived by the UAQ Hospital last week.
According to Umm Al Quwain Indian Association president Sajad Saheer Nattika, Chellappan's case was referred to the association last month. He said: "He has been at the hospital for over a month, and since there is nobody to help him with the recovery, he is continuing to stay at the hospital till his amnesty documentation comes through."
Sajad added: "The association staff took over his case and we've been working hard with the Consulate-General of India to repatriate him back to his home. We have received a lot of help in his case, especially from the hospital officials. Immigration authorities have agreed to come to the hospital to collect his fingerprints and other biometrics."
Chellappan wishes to return home to his family and undergo treatment for alcohol addiction in his native place in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. His brother said: "He has been living in the UAE for over 15 years, and he used to run a building maintenance business. His family returned to Kerala two months ago, and his daughter has completed Grade 10."
Anil said: "We want to provide him with ayurvedic treatment for alcoholism, and give him treatments for all his other ailments."
Sajad said a total of 23 Indian nationals had approached the UAQ Indian Association for amnesty purposes so far. "Of the 23 people, 12 illegal residents regularised their status. Only four Indians want to return home."
However, Sajad has reasons to believe that more Indian nationals will be turning up for amnesty in UAQ. "However, I expect a lot of Indians will head over to immigration offices only close to the end of September. I strongly suggest all Indians avail of it as soon as possible instead of waiting for the very last moment," said Sajad.
Chellappan will return home soon.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com  
 

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