Abubacker Madathil, 45, from Kerala came to Riyadh a year and a half ago to work as a driver at the residence of an Imam.
“Although I came here to work, my sponsor told me there was no work in his house and told me to earn my living by working outside and paying him a monthly allowance,” Madathil said, adding that he was not given an Iqama and that his passport was held by the sponsor.
According to a medical report issued by Safa Makkah Clinic, Madathil is suffering from severe retinopathy and he has a history of 13 years as a diabetic. Dr. Bharathan, eye specialist of the New Safa Makkah Clinic, who examined the patient said the he urgently requires surgery in order to avoid blindness. The proposed surgery would cost SR20,000 here but it could be done at far lower cost in India, Dr. Bharathan said.
Madathil, who has made an appeal to the Riyadh governor for assistance, is currently staying with his friends who provide him with three meals daily. The management at the New Safa Makkah Clinic has offered him free medical treatment during his stay in the Kingdom. He is married but has no children.
R. Muraleedharan, president of the Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA), told Arab News on Wednesday that the welfare department of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh should take prompt action to solve the Madathil’s problem.
