Ram Pradip Mali, a 40-year-old patient currently being treated at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah, was arrested by police in Taif for not possessing proper travel documents.

He was subsequently transferred to Briman jail in Jeddah. Three months later, he was admitted to hospital as he was suffering from a severe blood-related disease.

“The National Society for Human Rights intervened in the case when they found that the authorities had chained the patient to his hospital bed fearing that he would run away from the hospital,” S.D. Moorthy, consul at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, told Arab News on Tuesday.

He added that the patient was suffering from anemia due to a low hemoglobin level.

The hospital authorities kept Mali in a separate room to prevent any infection from spreading to other patients. He was also guarded 24 hours a day.

The NSHR referred Mali's case to the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, Makkah governorate and other concerned officials for his quick repatriation home.

Thanks to the hospital authorities, Moorthy said, the patient has improved a great deal and he has to continue his treatment when he returns home.

Mali is from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, and had come to Dammam in 2008 to work as a laborer. He escaped from his sponsor due to nonpayment and harassment.

While traveling to Jeddah in a truck in October 2010, he was caught at the Taif checkpoint and sent to jail for not possessing a valid iqama (resident permit).

During his stay in jail, he developed an infection and was admitted to King Fahd Hospital for treatment on Nov. 27, 2010.

“The consulate found out about his case only in April through a kind Indian nurse,” Moorthy said.

Consulate officials immediately visited the patient and since then the mission had been continuously monitoring his progress.

The consul said the air ticket to New Delhi and all medical expenses were borne by the Saudi authorities, while Mali's emergency certificate was issued by the consulate.