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| Melinda was billed $51k for her 4-day stay at Queen Elizabeth Hospital because her visa expired while she was confined |
She should have been lucky. Melinda (not her real name), a
Filipina domestic worker who was fired by her employer on Jun 30, found a new
employer the very next day after she was sent packing.
But she suddenly fell ill and was confined for five nights this
week at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Because she was considered as no longer entitled to free
medical care at a public hospital,
Melinda was not given any of the medicines prescribed by
doctors, and worse, was slapped with a $51,000 bill for her four-night stay.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
Compounding her problem was the doctors’ diagnosis that she
had a low hemoglobin count in her blood, and was also suffering from pelvic
infection, for which she needed a four-day bed rest.
But luck was still on her side, as welfare officer Virsie
Tamayao of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration who was informed by The
SUN of her plight, decided to accompany her to the Immigration Department
tomorrow.
Melinda was discharged today, Jul 16, from the hospital after
she sought treatment for her dizzy spells. Still weak and queasy, she was shocked
when told that she would be charged the full cost of her hospital stay.
Her bill represents the cost of her confinement, medical
examinations and procedures including CT scan, ultrasound, blood transfusion,
swab and various laboratory tests in the hospital.
Melinda said she was taken by a friend to the hospital last
Sunday evening as she was running a fever, having profuse bleeding and fainting
spells.
She appealed for help early Monday morning to The SUN, which
in turn referred her to Tamayao.
After speaking with Melinda, OWWA’s top Hong Kong
representative contacted the maid’s previous agency and reminded it of its responsibilities
to look after the worker’s needs, including her discharge from hospital and, if
needed, her repatriation.
Tamayao then instructed Melinda to contact the social
welfare officer at the hospital on her discharge, so she could request a waiver
of her bill.
However, Melinda said she was informed that a waiver could
not be guaranteed because she was no longer entitled to free medical care
because of her status.
An aunt, who is also a domestic helper here, fetched Melinda
from the hospital and took her to a boarding house where she could rest as
prescribed by the doctor.
The helper said she was terminated by her third employer,
who lives in Tuen Mun, after serving her for only more than a month. She said
the employer told her to leave the house at midnight on the day she was
informed her services were no longer needed.
“Sobra po pinagdaanan ko sa pangatlong amo ko. Bago ako
pinababa, hanggang 12 midnight
ako pinagtrabaho. Tapos yung lola noon itinutulak ako,” Melinda said.
She said she was made to eat only noodles for lunch, and
rarely had a meal with rice. Worse, she was forbidden from using the toilet in
the morning until everyone in the household had finished using it.
But, of course, she said she could not comply with this
order because she had to wake up early, and could not be expected to control
her bladder.
She hopes this time around, her new employer will be
kind-hearted.
