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28 March 2024

Dubai Filipino in coma for 6 years; family abandoned?

Authorities have made some headway in locating the family of Villamor Titco Carreos. (Supplied)

Published
By Sneha May Francis

A Filipino worker has been lying in a coma at Dubai’s Rashid Hospital for the last six years, and is waiting for his family to arrange for his journey back to his home country.

The Philippines Consulate in Dubai claims they have been unable to contact the family of Villamor Titco Carreos.

It is reported that authorities have made some headway in locating the family and are in negotiations.

The officials at Rashid Hospital have been working closely to ensure Villamor is moved to his home country without causing him any medical complications.

Nawal Mohammad Abu Mustafa, Asst Administrative Officer at Medical Affairs Department at Rashid Hospital, said, "We and a group of volunteers have been working closely to ensure Villamor has a safe transfer."

For this, the authorities in Rashid Hospital need his family in the Philippines to arrange for a transfer letter from the hospital where he will be admitted on arrival.

"We need the family to send us an acceptance letter from the hospital (in the Philippines) where he will be admitted to. We can't transfer him without that."

She said that under Villamor's condition, they can't fly him business class, but he would need to be on a stretcher, and a nurse from the hospital would have to accompany him. "We can't take any chances, and would want him to be transferred safely."

Nawal added that Villamor was admitted to the Rashid Hospital on November 5, 2008, after he suffered an intra-cerebral haemorrhage.

Villamor is on sponsorship from the private company he is working for, and Nawal insisted they would do all that's needed to facilitate his smooth transfer.

Talking to Emirates24|7, a spokesperson at the Philippines consulate in Dubai said, “He was taken into emergency after the 58-year-old collapsed.”

She informed that they were in touch with Villamor's family in Dubai earlier, but have lost contact over the years.

"The officials at Rashid Hospital want him transferred to his hometown, or anywhere his family wishes to take him, but without gathering a clearance certificate from the host hospital, they cannot discharge him."

The official added that they did not have any file photograph of Villamor.

Nawal informed that in 2014 there were 145 such cases, and she and her team have been successful in transferring most cases, and have been left with only 21 cases. Some cases are pending as it is tough to contact the families.