DUBAI: The Philippines consulate in Dubai has come forward to help repatriate the body of a premature baby who died last month in the emirate.
However, the body of Timothy Tindugan may lie in the morgue for a few more weeks because handling the parents’ expired work visas and outstanding medical bills could take time, reported The National.
The boy, born at 27 weeks on April 20, fought to survive for two months in a neonatal intensive care unit in Zulekha Hospital in Dubai, the report said. After being home for barely a week, the child stopped breathing one night and died on June 26, it added.
Rollie Tindugan, the father, had lost his job as an architectural designer a month before the child was born. He cannot afford the overstay fines nor the Dh250,000 medical bills owed, said the Abu Dhabi-based news portal.
“All I want is for my baby to be out of the morgue,” Tindugan reportedly said. “I’m trying to find a job. I’m strong and can work hard. This is just a very bad time for my family.”
Tindugan and his wife Rhodora, who works for a clothing company, have lived in Dubai for 12 years. They also have a four-year-old daughter.
Shipping the baby’s body to the Philippines for burial could be done within a week, but clearance of the couple’s residency documents could delay repatriation.
“We are not promising miracles but we are here to help,” Paul Raymund Cortes, Philippines consul general, reportedly said. “Resolving their visa status has to be done in a proper manner and all this needs to be cleared before the mother and daughter can accompany the child’s body. The father will stay in Dubai but we don’t want the mother and daughter not to be able to return because of their visa status.”
The consulate will also speak to hospital authorities about reducing the charges. In the past it has handled other cases where Filipinos were unable to pay high medical bills, reported The National.
Dr. Zia Ur Rahman Shah, Zulekha’s director of administration, was quoted as saying that the hospital was prepared to advise the family on payment options. It would do its “best to help them ease the financial burden while adhering to our policies”.
